Papaya, pears destroyed in special drive

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 15

In a special drive against fruits and vegetables unfit for human consumption under the ‘Tandarust Punjab’ mission, a team of the district administration destroyed around 60 kg of papaya and 20 kg of pears at the local wholesale fruit and vegetable market.

The team, headed by Deputy Director, Horticulture, Bhawan Singh, and District Mandi Officer (DMO) Varinder Khera, started the inspection of wholesale fruit and vegetable market at Maqsudan in the morning.

The team found 60 kg of papaya and 20 kg of pears unfit for human consumption during a visit to a ripening chamber. Acting swiftly, it destroyed the fruits and warned traders that such callousness on their part would not be tolerated at any cost. The team also inspected other ripening chambers in the market which were found satisfactory.

They said the sale of unhygienic fruits and vegetables which was unfit for human consumption would not be allowed at any cost.

They asserted that the drive would be continued and stern action would be taken against the traders if they indulge in malpractice of ripening the fruits artificially by using chemicals.