Face2News/Ropar/Fatehgarh Sahib/Chandigarh
In a decisive move to combat food adulteration in the state, teams from the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) and the Food Safety department conducted surprise inspections at several dairies in Fatehgarh Sahib and Rupnagar on Monday.
Disclosing this, an official spokesperson of the state VB said the joint operation resulted in the collection of multiple samples of milk, curd, and paneer for laboratory testing, signaling the government's intensified crackdown on adulterated food products.
The spokesperson added that the raids, led by Food Safety Officer Satwinder Singh and VB Inspector Shakunt Choudhary, inspected Imaan Dairy, located near Jyoti Saroop Chowk, Fatehgarh Sahib where samples of milk, curd, and paneer were collected. Additionally, milk samples were seized from Cheema Dairy, situated opposite Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib for further analysis.
The VB issued a stern warning, stating, "The Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards food adulteration. A sustained campaign to root out this menace would continue in the coming days. He emphasized that legal action would be swift and severe if any adulteration is confirmed through laboratory testing”.
Checking conducted in Rupnagar as well
In a parallel operation, the Vigilance Bureau, under the supervision of SSP/VB Rupnagar range Arun Saini, DSP/VB Unit Rupnagar Gurcharan Singh and Assistant Commissioner Manjinder Singh from the Health and Food Safety Department, Rupnagar, conducted surprise inspections at various locations in Rupnagar.
The teams, including Food Safety Officer Simranjit Singh (Rupnagar-1) and Dinesh Jot Singh, collected samples of soya chaap, spring rolls, momos, bakery items, bread and ghee from unlicensed vendors. The spokesperson added that samples were sent to laboratories to check for quality and purity. Besides, notices were issued to owners operating without licenses or maintaining poor hygiene standards, and fines were imposed in several cases.
He further added that during the inspections, dairy owners, sweet shops and food joint owners were formally cautioned about the consequences of adulteration and briefed on the state's ongoing campaign to ensure food safety. The VB teams, in collaboration with the Health and Food Safety Administration, have been conducting statewide operations, with particular attention to areas where adulteration is believed to be more prevalent. “Citizens were also encouraged to report suspected cases of food adulteration through the VB’s dedicated helpline, with assurances of confidentiality and prompt action,” he said.