The Kashmir Pulse

KELLER — Acting on the directives of Deputy Commissioner Shopian, a market checking team led by Tehsildar Keller, Mr. Latafat, alongside Assistant Commissioner from the Food Safety Department, Mrs. Nighat, and Food Safety Officer Keller, Shafiq Ur Rehman, conducted rigorous inspections across various parts of the Keller area of southern Kashmir's Shopian district on Friday.

The initiative aimed to verify the adherence of essential commodities to government-approved rates and quality standards, ensuring an ample supply of consumables in the market.

Throughout the day, the market checking team, consisting of officials from the Police, FCS&CA, and Food Safety Department, meticulously examined establishments in different markets of Keller, including the bus stand market, focusing on businesses such as bakeries, confectioneries, groceries, vegetable and fruit vendors, and meat shops.

Inspectors scrutinized the hygiene conditions and assessed factors such as the Date of Manufacture and Use-by Date of products.

All traders, particularly those dealing in meat, vegetables, and fruits, were cautioned to maintain product quality. Shopkeepers were also reminded to avoid hoarding and overcharging customers.

In the course of the inspections, fines totalling Rs. 3500 were levied on non-compliant traders, and a significant quantity of spoiled vegetables and fruits were promptly discarded.

Tehsildar Keller emphasized the continuation of such drives to ensure fair pricing and availability of essential goods, discouraging black marketing practices. He instructed officials to clear footpaths and main roads of any encroachments to facilitate smooth movement.

Engaging with shopkeepers, Food Safety Officer Keller stressed the importance of prominently displaying rate lists and adhering to approved rates and quality standards. Non-compliance, he warned, would result in strict legal action.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu & Kashmir Government will not regulate the prices of mutton in the Union Territory from now onwards.

The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs of J&K Government on Tuesday directed the Directorates of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Jammu/Srinagar, all district administrations and other enforcement agencies, who are regulating prices of livestock products, to refrain from issuing any order on regulating prices of mutton.

The government decided against regulating the prices of mutton after the Centre communicated to it that the notification under which the powers were delegated to Jammu & Kashmir Government for regulating certain commodities is no longer valid.

“…..the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, GOI vide its communication No. S-15/1/2023-ECR&E, dated 20.04.2023 clarified that any order issued by quoting S.O 145(E) dated 15.02.1990 is based on an order that is no longer valid and applicable, as such, the Ministry advised the Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, J&K to issue necessary directions to all concerned authorities to refrain from issuing or enforcing any order quoting S.O. 145(E) dated 15.02.1990,” the notification states, as per the news agency KNO.

The Centre issued the clarification after the J&K’s Agriculture Production Department asked it whether the notification under which the powers were delegated to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for regulating the commodities specified in the schedule(s) to the said notification was valid.

The J&K Government also repealed 'The Jammu and Kashmir Mutton (Licensing and Control) Order, 1973'. The order provided that “no person shall carry on the business of mutton as a wholesaler, broker or a retailer except under and in accordance with a license issued on this behalf by the Licensing Authority”. The prices of mutton were also regulated under the order.

SRINAGAR — With Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA) authorities failing to enforce the rates fixed by it for poultry, the chicken prices in the Kashmir markets have skyrocketed. The rate fixed for chicken per kg by retailers across Kashmir is Rs 170 and more.

As per the news agency KNO, the government has set the price of chicken at Rs 130 per kg, but the consumers claim that the sellers are selling chicken at a much higher rate than the government fixed rate.

The poultry sellers seem to be giving no damn to the government rates as people from the whole of Kashmir are complaining that the chicken sellers have no regard for the rates fixed by the government.

Shakeel Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama, said that shopkeepers are selling chicken at Rs 170 per kg and whenever they are being asked about government rates, they complain to the government about wholesale dealers who have hiked the rates.

Zahid Ahmad, a shopkeeper from Anantnag, said that whether the rate is Rs 100 or Rs 200, they earn only Rs 10 per kg as profit but rates depend upon wholesale dealers. “If authorities want to regulate the prices of the broiler chicken, they should act against the wholesale dealers,” he said.

Other shopkeepers said that they are getting the broiler chicken at the rate of Rs 155-Rs 160 per kg in wholesale and how can they sell them below Rs 170 then?

Consumers said that authorities are acting as mute spectators with negligible market checks in almost the whole of Kashmir and the poultry sellers are having a free hand to charge exorbitant rates. The consumers appealed to authorities to increase the market checking in the area so that they will not have to suffer.

Meanwhile, an official of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs acknowledged that rates of chicken have increased in Kashmir and concerned enforcement wings have to be directed to increase market checkings so that consumers won't have to suffer anymore.

SRINAGAR — The government on Monday said that the process to scrutinize over seven lakh ration card holders falling in the category of AAY and PHH in the Valley.

Talking to the news agency KNO, Director of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Abdul Salam Mir said that the process to identify the undeserving families who have been categorized in AAY and PHH has been started. “We have directed the officers to complete the process across Kashmir within the period of one month,” he said.

He added that a total of 1.5 lakh families fall in the AAY category while nearly 5 lakh families fall in the PHH category. “We have been identifying the families, who don’t deserve to be in AAY and PHH categories and they are accordingly added to the APL category,” he said.

Director FCS&CA further said the employees who are found involved in providing AAY and PHH ration cards to the undeserving families are also being taken to the task.

He said in case any family does not deserve for AAY and PHH categories, they should voluntarily surrender their ration cards to ensure that the poor families are benefitted. “Surrendering the ration cards voluntarily will not only save our time but would also help in ensuring benefits to the poor and downtrodden families within the society,” he said.

SRINAGAR — Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, in-charge of Assistant Director, Enforcement, Srinagar, has been transferred and posted as in-charge Assistant Director, Pulwama in the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and shall also hold the charge of the post of Assistant Director, Shopian, in addition to his own duties till further orders.

Locals and employees of the FCSCA Pulwama and Shopian have expressed gratitude for getting an 'honest' and 'efficient' officer who, they believe, will serve the people well.

Meanwhile, the FCSCA Pulwama organized a warm farewell party for the outgoing Assistant Director, Anayatullah Sheikh upon his transfer as Assistant Director, Doda.

PULWAMA — People in south Kashmir's Pulwama and Shopian districts have alleged that ineligible and non-deserving households have been included under Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) ration cards even as the authorities have given the public 21 days to file objections.

People from various areas of the twin districts have alleged that the undeserving families have become part of AAY and PHH while some deserving have been skipped from the list. They have sought the intervention of the Assistant Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Pulwama-Shopian in this regard.

Meanwhile, taking note of the complaints, the Assistant Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Pulwama, who has an additional charge of Shopian, has issued public notices in both districts wherein the people have been asked to file objections within a period of 21 days.

According to the notice, the department has conducted a re-verification of families under NFSA (AAY and PHH/BPL) and is receiving complaints that some ineligible and non-deserving families have been included in the re-verified and approved list under NFSA in Pulwama.

Therefore, the notice reads, to redress the grievances of the complainants and to purge the ration lists further, the general public of district Pulwama is hereby informed to furnish the objections, if any, with respect to the inclusion of ineligible and non-deserving families under NFSA (AAY and PHH/BPL) at the office of the Assistant Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Pulwama and at the respective Tehsil Supply Offices under proper receipt.

The ration lists are available at the concerned sale outlets and Fair Price shops or can be fetched from https://rems.jk.gov.in/Show Reports.aspx?RID=105, the notice informs, adding that the objections shall reach the designated offices within a period of 21 days of the publication of this notice. A similar kind of notice has been issued in the Shopian district as well.

SRINAGAR — To control the price of mutton, authorities have sealed over 117 mutton shops for the past two weeks in Kashmir's capital city Srinagar.

People associated with the mutton trade are up in arms against the Directorate of Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution.

Authorities have fixed the price of meat at Rs 535 per kg in 2021, however, Assistant Director Enforcement, Mushtaq Ahmed Wani told the news agency KNT that complaints were being received that the butchers were selling meat at Rs 600 to Rs 650. He said the action to seal the shops has become inevitable given the fact that butchers continue to rob the consumers.

He appealed to people to inform the Department and identify the butchers who sell meat at exorbitant rates.

The senior leader of the Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association, Mehrajudin Ganai said that government should take a realistic view of the situation emerging due to the clash between the butchers and authorities. “There is inflation. Every product witnessed a hike and meat is not an exception,” he said, adding that there should be consensus on the rate.

Meanwhile, Kashmir Economic Alliance is mulling having a meeting with authorities to end the deadlock.

SRINAGAR — Sajjid Ahmad, a college student had Wazwaan last month at a restaurant in Srinagar. After an hour, he suffered a severe digestive tract infection. He felt an irritation in his throat and a burning sensation, followed by fever.

According to the news agency KINS, Sajjid, who lives in Srinagar’s Habak area, was rushed to the hospital. After the screening, doctors told him that he had food poisoning because of the consumption of colouring agents with Wazwaan.

“The colouring agents are being used in food items but why does the government allow their sale in markets,” he asked, who was discharged after three days from the hospital.

This is not an isolated case, but scores of such cases are getting reported every day in Kashmir where people face food poisoning after consumption of Wazwaan or other food items like traditional snacks Nadre Mounji, Biryani and pickle.

Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Batamaloo, said that the use of chemicals was being widely used in dishes like Wazwaan, grilled chicken and meat, which gives it a reddish colour. “Government is not taking any measures to stop this practice.”

Earlier, the government had issued an advisory, asking people not to allow chefs to use any artificial colourants while preparing the Wazwaan. “Consumers are advised to encourage the use of safe and natural colour extracts like cocks comb, sun-dried red chillies and pure spices both at home and during functions and festivals,” the advisory said.

Ali Mohammad, a chef from the old city of Srinagar, said that the government should completely ban the colourful food agents.

In 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court also banned the use of artificial colours Carmoisine, Tartrazine and sunset yellow, after a report submitted by Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura. The report had shown the presence of harmful colouring agents in samples collected from three food processing companies and termed it “shocking and hazardous” for health.

Subsequently, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) also warned the sellers of strict punishment under the FSS Act of 2006 if they used banned colours in their products. However, seven years later, the unhealthy practice is going on with food items.

The UK Food Standards Agency commissioned a study at Southampton University on the effect of six food dyes (Tartrazine, Allura Red, Ponceau 4R, Quinoline Yellow WS, Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine) on children. The study found “a possible link between the consumption of these artificial colours and a sodium benzoate preservative and increased hyperactivity”.

Dr Bashir Ahmad, a physician, said that colouring agents were being widely used in Wazwaan and other food items. “They mostly cause liver cancer,” he said, who advises people to stop using colouring agents in food items.

A senior official of the Food Safety Department said that several hotels, eateries and roadside vendors randomly add the colouring agents to foods including in Wazwaan without “knowing its consequences. “We have taken action in a number of cases against those who used these harmful colouring agents in food items,” the official added.

SRINAGAR — People in various areas of the valley complained of shortage in ration depots, with weaker sections finding it difficult to procure essentials like rice, flour and sugar.

On Saturday, the news agency CNS received calls from various districts complaining about the lack of food grains, compelling them to fetch essentials from private shops.

"We have no rice to eat and can't even afford to purchase it from the open market at exorbitant rates," said Ghulam Qadir from Tral area of Pulwama district.

Inhabitants of various districts have the same complaint that the ration depots were without supplies, forcing the people to face hardships. "We are suffering immense hardships due to a shortage of essentials for the past month. The authorities have failed to supply the ration," said Abbas Ahmad, a local from Natipora area of Srinagar district.

They demanded that government should take immediate steps to keep rations available at the depots.

Official sources from the Department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) told CNS that there is no shortage of rations and it is being monitored regularly. "We have distributed ration to depots. There is neither shortage of stock with us nor we have withheld its distribution," they added.

Meanwhile, CNS tried to reach Director FCS&CA Department Kashmir, Abdul Salam Mir but there was no response from his side despite repeated attempts.

SRINAGAR — The Government of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday fixed the rates for sacrificial livestock in the Kashmir Valley ahead of Eid-ul-Adha.

According to an order, the Director of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department has revised and re-fixed the rates of Qurbani (sacrificial) livestock in the valley.

“Consequent upon the decisions taken in the meeting, regarding fixing/review of rates of sacrificial (Qurbani) livestock, held today on 27-06-2022 and in supersession of all previous notifications issued on the subject and in the exercise of the powers conferred upon me under Jammu & Kashmir Mutton Licensing & Control Order, 1973 read with SRO-31 dated 1974, I, Dr Abdul Salam Mir, Director Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, Kashmir revise and re-fix the sale rate of Qurbani livestock,” read the order.

It reads that the rates for Delhi Walla and Merino Cross varieties of Sheep have been fixed at Rs 310 per kg, those of Bakerwal and Kashmiri varieties at Rs 295 per kg and for goat has been fixed at Rs 285 per kg.