Two booked for selling fake pesticides

MULTAN: Muzaffarabad police Monday booked two people on charges of selling fake pesticides.

In a crackdown on sale of spurious pesticides, on the report of the officials of the agriculture department the police booked Muhammad Athar and Muhammad Asim of two separate pesticide companies. under Punjab Agriculture Pesticide Act 2012 [Amended].

According to the agriculture department officials, both the pesticides companies were not registered. Reportedly, labels of pesticides were changed in the companies.

Punjab Agriculture Information senior official Naveed Asmat Kahloon said Punjab Agriculture Minister Nauman Ahmed Langrial has ordered an indiscriminate crackdown on fake pesticide companies.

He said the Punjab government has a zero tolerance policy towards the sale of spurious pesticides.

He said a special team of pest directorate led by Director Pest Warning and Quality Control Dr Muhammad Asalm raided the factories in industrial estate on a tip off and found in bulk quantity adulterated pesticides in the warehouse of the companies.

Wheat quota increased for registered Chakis: The City District Administration Monday increased wheat quota for registered wheat grinding outlets (Chakis) from three bags to five bags of 100 kilograms daily.

Chairing a meeting at circuit house to review the supply of wheat and flour availability in the district, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amir Khatak said owners of registered Chakis can collect five bags of 100 kg wheat on daily basis from food department stores.

He also ordered the Food Department to supply wheat under new quota on the government fixed rates to ensure cheap flour supply to citizens.

Chaki Association president Tayyab Khan and 70 owners of registered Chaki also attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, the DC said the supply of wheat to Multan Chakis from Jalalpur Pirwala was very pathetic and the practice was increasing cost of production.

He said the Chaki owners would bind to sell flour to citizen at Rs 41 per kilogram. The flour supply from Chakis would be monitored and they would not be allowed to sell wheat quota to flourmills.

The flour sales points have been increased in the district, now flour would available at more than 80 sales points, the DC said.

Commissioner orders crackdown on quacks: Multan division Commissioner Shan-ul-Haq Monday directed officers concerned to launch a crackdown on quacks across the division.

Presiding over a meeting here on Monday, the commissioner said protection of public lives was top priority and no negligence would be tolerated in that regard.

He said medical stores involved in selling fake medicines would be sealed and quacks would be sent to jails.

He directed drug inspectors to get samples of ‘beauty creams’ and other medicines being used at slimming centres.

The commissioner stressed the need for regular district quality board meetings to redress issues.

He was briefed that drug inspectors conducted 6,968 raids in the last year and checked samples of 1,653 medicines.

The officers sealed 366 medical stores while 676 quacks were arrested.

The officer informed commissioner that samples of 25 ‘beauty creams’ had been sent to laboratories.

Assistant Commissioner (AC) Khawaja Umair, Director Health Services Dr Waseem Ramzi, Chief Executive Officer Health Dr Munawar Abbas, Secretary Divisional Drug Quality Board Ehsan Lothar, Deputy Controller Muhammad Asad Abbas, Deputy Drug Controller Sajjad Mahmood, Usman Ghani and other officers also attended the meeting.