The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a vigilance enquiry onthe basis of reliable information to probe the malpractices in collection,testing and keeping records of samples of food items in the state.
Disclosing this here today, Chief Director-cum-DGP VigilanceBureau Punjab B.K. Uppal said the health and food departments collects samplesof eatable items for the purpose of checking and analysing its adulteration."But it has came to light that all samples of food items were not sent tothe laboratory for analysis as the matter get settled down through unfairpractices by the department officials with shopkeepers/restaurantsowners", he added.
He further informed that in order to expose the malfeasance by theofficials of the state food and health departments an investigation has beenhanded over to Senior Superintendent of Police Vigilance Bureau range,Amritsar.
It is informed here that health and food departments collectssamples of different food items from various dairies, sweet shops, restaurantsand then forward the same to Punjab State Food and Chemical laboratory, Khararto carry out checking and analysing if any adulteration was detected in thefood stuffs.
Uppal further informed that Vigilance Bureau obtained the recordsof samples received from the Assistant Commissioner, Food and Safety Amritsar,Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Tarn Taran as well as Chemical laboratory, Kharar forthe year 2018-19. During corroborating the records pertaining to collection,analysis and received samples, VB has found several discrepancies.
"In the year 2018, total 1,115 samples were sent from thefood and safety department, Amritsar and received 1,113 samples from thechemical laboratory, Kharar. Out of these, 851 samples had failed as per thereports of the laboratory whereas food and safety department of Amritsar recordshows that only 497 samples were failed", said Uppal.
VB Chief further revealed that 599 samples were sent by the foodand safety department Amritsar for analyzing but Kharar based laboratoryreceived only 597 out of which 217 samples have failed whereas food and safetydepartment Amritsar showed 172 samples have failed in the record during theyear 2019.
He further disclosed that during the preliminary enquiry it hascame to light that that the records pertaining to all food samples were notmaintained properly.
He pointed out that one food supply officer receives the slips toseal the food samples and another food supply officer receives samples from sweetshops/restaurants. He added that some slips used for sealing of food sampleshave been issued to drivers, class-4 employees or clerks of the food and civilsupply department. However, these slips could not be issued to these employeesas per prescribed rules.