70 raids, no seizures by Health Department ahead of Diwali

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 19

With over 70 raids in the district in the past one month, the festive season poses a problem of plenty for the district Health Department.

With a fortnight left for Diwali, however, the Health Department has not been able to hold a single seizure of sweets or food materials in the district so far. A robust city in the heart of Doaba, Jalandhar is also a sweet hub of the region, with thousands of sweet shops, bakers and confectioners claiming a huge presence in its busy old and new bazaars. However, despite dozens of raids in the past few days alone, the pre-Diwali fervour this year hasn’t been marked with a single consignment of adulterated food items being seized.

While a complaint against 18 big food establishments in the city was received by the Health Department recently, officials claimed all these establishments had been raided and samples were taken but reports would be out only after Diwali.

Repeated visits of officials fail to yield results

Officials of the Health Department said an information regarding a huge consignment of paneer in a local area didn’t yield any results as repeated checks and presence of officials at the establishment could not help in finding any spurious items. Officials said there were other hurdles like the change in the means of transport which was posing problems in nailing those getting in big consignments of spurious substances.

While most of the samples taken in the district comprise milk, milk products, prepared food items, the Health Department is keeping at bay fruits. Sources said with the responsibility of food products accorded to the Mandi Department, the Health Department is not taking much interest in fruits.

OfficialSpeak

District Health Officer Surinder Nangal said, “Over 70 establishments have been raided this month. Sampling has been conducted at the biggest of sweet houses of the city. The sample reports of these shall be out only after Diwali. As far as seizures are concerned, some recent tips have turned to be damp squibs. We are yet hoping for major breakthroughs ahead of Diwali in the city.”

Fruit vendors not on Health Dept radar

While most of the samples taken in the district comprise milk, milk products, prepared food items, the Health Department is keeping at bay fruits. Sources said with the responsibility of food products accorded to the Mandi Department, the Health Department is not taking much interest in fruits.