Rs32 lakh penalty on eateries as 90 samples fail test

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 20

Food items purchased by us from top restaurants, clubs and stores of the city may not be safe.

After food samples were taken by teams and tests were conducted on them recently, it has been found that many of them were unfit for consumption. The Court of Additional Deputy Commissioner (G) Jasvir Singh under the Food Safety Act in the past six months has penalised as many as 90 offenders, imposing a fine of Rs 32.49 lakh on them.

In the list of cases decided are some big names, including Peddlers Club where tomato ketchup, semolina and groundnut packets were found to be substandard. The club has been imposed a penalty of Rs 2.15 lakh. The tamarind used in Hotel Down Town too was found to be of inferior quality and, hence, the hotel owner has been asked to deposit Rs 1 lakh.

In a similar case decided against Hotel Country Inn, kabuli chana packet, khoya and green chilli sauce samples were found to be unfit and, hence, the hotelier has been asked to deposit Rs 1.2 lakh. Packets of chana and raungi were of inferior quality at Music Lounge and the ADC’s court has held the owner guilty by imposing Rs 1 lakh fine.

The ghee packet sample tested from Metro Cash and Carry Mall was also found to be substandard and hence Rs 1 lakh fine was decided against him. Samples of date packets taken from Reliance Fresh at Nakodar Chowk and Lajpat Nagar were found to be substandard and Rs 1 lakh penalty was imposed. Vishal Mega Mart was found to be no better with its kabuli chana packet failing test and a Rs 1.25 lakh fine imposed on it.

ADC Jasvir Singh said adverse decisions and imposition of fines against the eateries and food stores would help improve quality of foodstuff kept for sales.