Srinagar: In the wake of the rotten meat scandal that has jolted Kashmir’s conscience, PDP leader Zuhaib Yousf Mir has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to expand its crackdown beyond the current raids on butchers and meat suppliers, warning that the rot runs deeper — from the spice market to bottled water plants.
Describing the recent revelations of stale, unbranded meat being sold to unsuspecting consumers as “a symptom of moral decay,” Mir said such unscrupulous practices have been silently harming public health for the last 15–16 years, contributing to the surge in lifestyle diseases and even cancer.
Mir welcomed the government’s aggressive actions against those he called “morally bankrupt perpetrators,” acknowledging the role of religious scholars issuing fatwas against the trade and food safety officers working tirelessly to trace the sources.
However, he stressed that rotten meat is only one part of a larger food safety emergency. “The same kind of scrutiny must be applied to the production of substandard masala, artificial milk, and contaminated mineral water,” Mir said, pointing to recent cases that have raised alarm — including the discovery of worms in sealed mineral water bottles and the arrest of a man in Baramulla for manufacturing chemical-based milk using potassium hydroxide pellets.
Calling food safety “paramount to public health,” Mir appealed for rigorous enforcement of regulations through consistent inspections and public education campaigns to help consumers make informed choices.
He warned that action taken only during scandals will not protect Kashmir’s future. “We need a vigilant, proactive system in place all year round,” Mir insisted, recommending dedicated budgetary provisions for permanent checkpoints, fully equipped food testing labs, and trained manpower in every district.
“This is not just about catching culprits after the damage is done,” he said. “It’s about safeguarding the health of our people for generations to come.”
