The Pioneer 27.10.2010
MCD starts drive to check food adulterationPNS | Dehradun
The Health division of the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun started a drive to collect food samples in order to check food adulteration during the festive season of Diwali. While MCD officials were conducting the food sampling drive in the urban areas of Dehradun, food inspectors under the purview of the office of the Chief Medical Officer undertook similar operations in rural areas of the Dehradun District.
Unlike past occasions, when the MCD had undertaken food sampling drives in view of festive season, the business fraternity this time desisted from staging any protests against this action and cooperated with the authorities.
According to the Dehradun senior city health officer Dr Gurpal Singh, a team of the MCD health division reached Hanuman Chowk area on Tuesday afternoon to undertake the sampling drive. Samples of sweets, dairy products and food items were collected for laboratory examination from five shops during the day. The Health Department and MCD Health division had last undertaken a food sampling drive in town to check sale of adulterated food prior to the festivals of Raksha bandhan and Janmashtami during the month of August. At that time the sampling drive had elicited the strong opposition of members of the business fraternity who had alleged that the drive amounted to their harassment while demanding that the drive be undertaken after the festival to prevent its negative impact on the business.
However, officials believe that the negative publicity received by the business concerns opposing the food sampling drive has apparently deterred the shopkeepers from opposing the drive this time. While the MCD officials were collecting food samples in the urban areas of Dehradun, food inspectors working under the purview of the Chief Medical Officer undertook the same activity in rural areas of Dehradun District.
Since, bulk of milk and dairy products are supplied to Dehradun from towns in Uttarakhand and UP, the increase in demand accompanying the advent of the festive season sees an increase in the use and sale of adulterated dairy products and food items. In case of a laboratory examination report of a food sample turning out to be negative, the office of the Chief Medical Officer directs food inspectors to register a case against the shopkeeper concerned in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate. The efficacy of the sampling drive this time remains to be seen and will depend on the action taken by the authorities against those found using and selling adulterated food items.
