Punjab agro kiosk at civil hospital sending rules for a toss

According the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the PAJL and Punjab health system corporation (PHSC), the kiosk is only authorised to sell the products produced by the PAJL

The Punjab Agro kiosk at the civil hospital, authorised only to sell the products by the Punjab Agro Juices Limited (PAJL), is selling other products.

Dilip Kumar, who runs the kiosk, acknowledged selling other products, while also saying that he knew that he wasn’t allowed to by rule. He, however, also said that he’d stop selling other products now. (Manish/HT)

According the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the PAJL and Punjab health system corporation (PHSC), the kiosk is only authorised to sell the products produced by the PAJL.

“Only the products manufactured or marketed by Punjab Agro and snacks as per the standards of FSSAl are to be sold in these booths,” reads the MoU.

Tea is also sold at the Kiosk, while the MoU specifically states “No eatable shall be cooked in the Juice cum Snacks bar kiosk”.

The only exception for selling snacks other than that produced by Punjab Agro is for those produced by other government organisations and that too with the prior permission of PAJL’s officials.

“Eatables of other government organisations can be sold with the permission chief executive officer Punjab agro Juices Limited of Punjab Agro.”

Rishi Saroay, who runs a canteen in the hospital premises, claimed that the availability of the snacks at the kiosk was causing his loses.

“I pay over a lakh rupees in rent every month to the hospital for the canteen space but since this kiosk was selling the products so the people were going there thus resulting in my loss,” Saroay alleged.

He claimed that he even wrote to the higher official complaining about the kiosk and even met civil surgeon Ludhiana Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh regarding the issue. However, he alleged that Dr Aulakh asked the Kiosk owner and him to settle the issue between themselves instead taking any action.

Dr Aulakh, when approached for a comment, didn’t respond to repeated calls.

Dilip Kumar, who runs the kiosk, acknowledged selling other products, while also saying that he knew that he wasn’t allowed to by rule. “We do sell other products as well but that is a small percentage of the total products we have at the kiosk,” he said,

He, however, also said that he’d stop selling other products now.