With huge quantities of adulterated dairy products getting recovered from across the state, Punjab’s health and family minister, Brahm Mohindra, on Sunday warned those indulging in making spurious and adulterated milk and milk products in the state.

He ordered the District Health Officers and Assistant Food Commissioners to take stern action against the culprits under the provisions of ‘Food safety and standards Act 2006’ to curb the sale and production of adulterated food.

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Giving details in Press communiqué, Mohindra said that during last 10 days, Food Safety Wing of Health Department has been conducted 650 raids with the help of other departments at Patiala, Bathinda, Baghapurana, Moga, Samrala, Kapurthala.

He said that district administrations, Punjab Pollution control board, Dairy Development Department, Police Department, Cooperation Department and Local Government Department have been asked to work in tandem to ensure availability of safe and nutritious food to citizens.

After the police on Saturday claimed that officials of the Patiala district health department’s food safety wing have been taking bribes since 2014 for allowing production of spurious items at a factory, the health minister also warned the officers of the health department and lab staff to work honestly and diligently to ensure the availability of quality food.

He said that no laxity will be tolerated in this regard and strict disciplinary action would be taken against all those conniving with perpetrators of the crime against humanity by compromising with the quality of food items.

Mohindra appreciated the efforts of food safety wing of the Health Department for initiating a campaign against food adulteration and stated that government is very serious to provide pure and nutritious food items to the citizens under ‘Tandarust Punjab Mission’.

He mentioned that all concerned department of the government have jointly embarked upon the campaign to supply pure food to the people of Punjab.

He said that this campaign shall continue till all the black sheeps indulging in such malpractices are brought to the books under ‘Food safety and standards Act 2006’.