By IANS
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Anant Kumar Misra has landed himself in trouble by talking against “harassment” of traders who came under the scanner after a crackdown was launched against food adulterators earlier this month.
Misra, a close kin of state cabinet minister Satish Chandra Misra – better known as the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party’s Brahmin mascot – went to the extent of issuing an official statement emphasising on curbing “harassment” of traders.
“Action against adulteration should not be so harsh as to cause harassment of traders,” the minister said, while addressing a gathering of traders here Tuesday.
Asked why he was sympathising with the adulterators, Misra shot back: “My aim is to just save traders from undue harassment. I have simply asked officials not to be too harsh on the traders.”
However, he refused to comment when reporters drew his attention to the fact that each of the 40 food samples collected from certain traders over the month-long raids were found adulterated by the Public Analysts Laboratory.
Hazardous substances including harmful chemicals were found to have been used to adulterate popular foods like milk and milk products, ice cream, pure ghee, sweets, salted snacks and even medicines.
According to the laboratory reports, synthetic milk was detected to have been used in ‘khoya’ and chemicals like titanium oxide were found in ‘pan masala’.
Medical experts were of the view that the substances used in food adulteration “not only caused major intestinal problems but could even lead to fatal diseases like cancer”.
A concerned official of Misra’s ministry said: “There is no denying that adulterators should be booked under the National Security Act, but who will bell the cat?”
Earlier this month, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Vikram Singh had issued a circular directing all district police chiefs to conduct surprise raids at all major milk and milk distribution centres in collaboration with health department officials.
“Prepare a dossier of every person found to be indulging in adulteration along with details of the substance used for adulteration so that the culprits could be booked under NSA”, the circular said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Misra too had told officials to take drastic steps to curb food adulteration. But the health minister’s soft attitude towards the adulterators has left many wondering whether any action would actually be taken against the offenders.