Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Petitions on Monday reviewed measures to tackle food adulteration across the Union Territory and called for stricter enforcement, greater public awareness and coordinated action to safeguard public health.
The meeting, chaired by Committee Chairman and MLA Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah at the Assembly Secretariat, reviewed a status report submitted by the Food and Drugs Administration on adulteration in essential food items, including milk, meat, fish, vegetables, spices and packaged food.
Committee members Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Sheikh Ahsan Ahmad (Pardesi), Javaid Iqbal and Shagun Parihar attended the meeting.
The committee directed the concerned departments to adopt a coordinated and time-bound approach to curb food adulteration. It also stressed the need for regular market inspections, public awareness campaigns and training programmes for Food Business Operators (FBOs), food handlers and street vendors to improve hygiene standards and compliance.
Taking note of public health concerns, the committee directed the Food and Drugs Administration to ensure that antibiotics are not sold by chemist shops without a valid medical prescription and called for strict action against violators.
Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, Khalid Jahangir informed the committee that the department conducted 21,120 inspections during the 2025-26 financial year and collected 10,444 food samples. During the first quarter of 2026-27, it carried out 5,221 inspections.
He said Mobile Food Testing Vans analysed 25,003 samples, including 4,178 during the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026, to facilitate on-the-spot testing. He also informed the committee that multi-departmental joint enforcement teams had been constituted at the district, tehsil and block levels to conduct special drives against adulteration in fruits, milk, edible oils, ghee, honey and packaged drinking water.
The committee also reviewed a compliance report submitted by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, regarding the appointment of a Lumbardar for Porwara village in Chadoora tehsil.
Secretary, Legislative Assembly, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Additional Deputy Commissioners of Srinagar and Budgam, and senior officers of the Food and Drugs Administration attended the meeting.
