Srinagar: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Satish Sharma on Thursday said that culprits involved in smuggling rotten meat into Kashmir won’t be spared, and blanket ban would be imposed on the entry of illegal packed food items entering the valley.
Talking to KNO Sharma said, “Health Minister Sakina Itoo and Agriculture Minister Javed Dar took separate meetings with stakeholders today. A high-level meeting will be held on Friday to devise a strategy to prevent the rotten meat from entering into Kashmir.”
Sharma said that law enforcing agencies, including J&K Police, will be involved, to act against the accused involved in this illegal trade. “We are going to act tough and no one will be spared. It’s a big Mafia and it will be dealt with an iron fist.”
Pertinently, officials on Thursday said that during the past few days the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) seized and destroyed over 35 quintals (3,500 kg) of decomposed and unlabelled meat across Kashmir. The seized consignments, as per officials, were either being transported or stored without proper labelling or cold-chain logistics.
“The meat was in a decomposed condition, packed without any identification or temperature control. In many cases, we could not even open the packages due to the foul smell,” Smiti Sethi, Commissioner, FDA Kashmir said.
“The crackdown has sparked panic among those involved in the trade. The illegal suppliers are now dumping meat consignments in open areas and even water bodies to evade detection, Sethi added.
“This is just the beginning. We are committed to ensuring that only safe and legal food reaches the public,” she said. (KNO)
