The Tribune impact: Kangra administration sends mustard oil samples for testing

Rajiv Mahajan

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NURPUR, FEBRUARY 2

The Kangra district administration took cognisance of The Tribune story titled “Row over mustard oil being sold under the PDS in Nurpur”, which was published in these columns on Tuesday, and collected samples of oil and pulses from fair price outlets of the HP Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (HPFCSC). It has stopped the sale of mustard oil across the district in fair price shops under the the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Dr Nipun Jindal told The Tribune that the samples of the brand “Tota” of mustard oil, wheat flour, sugar, chana dal, moong dal, urad dal and malka dal were picked up by the food safety staff of the Health Department in the presence of the Nurpur SDM today. He said these samples were sent to the National Accreditation Board of Laboratories (NABL), Delhi, for an independent laboratory testing. He said as a precautionary measure, the HPFCSC fair price outlets had been directed to stop the sale of mustard oil with immediate effect till receiving of the report of the NABL.

Earlier too, on getting complaints on social media, the district authorities of the HPFCSC had collected mustard oil samples from the Nurpur area and sent to its laboratory at Shimla for testing. Meanwhile, Kangra District PDS Depot Holders Samiti president Sudarshan Sharma has criticised the Health Department’s food safety wing for collecting samples of food items from fair price shops.

Poor impression of depot holders created: Samiti

The Health Department’s team should have picked up mustard oil samples from the wholesale stores of the HPFCSC or main suppliers. Collecting samples from fair price shops has given a poor impression to consumers about depot holders, who work hard and distribute subsidised food items on a meagre commission in the state. — Sudarshan Sharma, president, Kangra district PDS depot holders samiti