DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Food Department officials along with the police seized 65,000 litres of adulterated milk being supplied in tankers to the city from Punjab and arrested eight persons.
Acting on a tip-off, the food department constituted a team led by Assistant Food Controller Khaliqur Rehman and initiated raids at night.The team intercepted a tanker near Qureshi Mor, which was supplying adulterated milk from Kot Addu, Punjab and the milk was tested on the spot.
The doctor found the milk contaminated with chemicals and the accused were taken into custody. During interrogation, they revealed that three more tankers full of the same unhygienic milk were on way, and the authorities later took those into custody as well.
The district food department officials said that total value of the milk stood at Rs72,00,000, which was disposed of into River Sindh.The residents also appreciated the district food department for imposing fines on substandard food sellers, and suggested that no leniency should be shown towards wrongdoers and unlawful and unethical business practices should be strongly discouraged for extending relief to common people who hardly meet their daily household expenditures.
The clandestine trade of the adulterated milk and other counterfeit food items is going on in the district headquarter and its surrounding towns including Paharpur, Prova, Draban, Chodhwan, etc with no check on the part of local food department.
Public circles of the area have appreciated the efforts of Assistant Commissioner Zubair Niazi, who expedited initiatives against profiteers and hoarders.An official of the food department said that drive against profiteers would continue. He urged the shopkeepers to display prominently pricelists at their outlets or else a strict action would be taken against anyone found overcharging customers.
He said that under the directives of provincial government, markets in the district were regularly monitored and fine was imposed on profiteers and hoarders.The official added that during last month a total of Rs1,27,000 fine had been imposed on shopkeepers for overcharging or violating hygiene standards.
