One car, 4 officers, 6 zones: Health staff struggle to ensure food safety in Ludhiana
The officials from Ludhiana said food adulteration is prevalent in the festive season, and they have top conduct more raids to ensure that norms are being adhered to.
With just one car and four officers deployed for six zones of the district, officials said they are running on fumes to ensure food safety even as their jobs have been made more difficult in the festive season.
The officials said food adulteration is prevalent in the festive season, and they have top conduct more raids to ensure that norms are being adhered to.
For food safety enforcement, the district has been divided into six zones. Only four food safety officers (FSOs) are looking after these zones.
“We just have one small car that can accommodate four people. If an FSO goes out on a raid, which sometimes is in rural areas far from here, it may take them hours to get back. In the interim, even if we are here and ready for a raid, we can’t go,” said a health official, requesting not to be named.
The official added that they are not allowed to use personal vehicles.
“We have to submit a report that includes details of the car we used and the driver who accompanied us. We can’t our vehicles on raids,” the official added.
Health officials inspect shops regularly to check adulteration and conduct raids based on complaints.
District health officer Dr Amarjeet Kaur said, “To compensate for the lack of vehicles, the civil surgeon lends one of his cars. Yesterday [October 8], we raided a bakery on Tajpur Road using his vehicle.”
The officials have carried numerous raids and 12 inspections so far this month, collecting 90 samples.
They issued three challans for unhygienic conditions. For violation of norms, vendors can be slapped with fines up to ₹1 lakh.
50 kg adulterated sweets destroyed
On Wednesday, officials raided sweet shops in the Salem Tabri area and destroyed around 50 kg of adulterated sweets, according to DHO Kaur.
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