LAHORE: Punjab government has decided to form a task force comprising the relevant departments to prevent milk adulteration. Under this project Lahore will be made a model district free of adulteration in the next 3 years.
Decision in this regard was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by the Caretaker Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Ibrahim Hasan Murad. Secretary Livestock Punjab Masood Anwar, Director General Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Raja Jahangir Anwar also attended the meeting.
The proposed task force will examine the source of supply of milk sold by the milk vendors and will probe whether the milk conforms to hygiene norms.
Caretaker Livestock and Dairy Development Minister Ibrahim Hasan Murad directed that representatives of the district administration, police, livestock, food authority, veterinary experts and other relevant departments should be included in the task force.
He lamented that some unscrupulous elements are involved in the nefarious business of manufacturing unhealthy milk. “Such elements will be eradicated,” he pledged.
Ibrahim Murad said that after the success of the Lahore model, the scope of organized campaign against adulterated milk will be spread throughout Punjab. Livestock Minister directed that awareness among the citizens about adulterated milk will be increased.
It was also decided in the meeting that testing strips should be prepared with the help of experts to check the quality of milk at home level. In this way, housewives will be able to test the milk on the spot and refuse to take milk if it is of substandard quality.
Director General PFA Raja Jahangir Anwar offered that the Food Authority is ready to give access to its data to the Livestock Department to achieve the desired targets. He said that most adulterated milk is sold in cities.
“This anti-social practice can be eradicated by facilitating home-based testing,” he observed. The Livestock Minister said that all the concerned government departments have to come together to crush the adultery culture. He directed that Livestock Department and Punjab Food Authority should report further progress after two days.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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