Punjab: Assembly panel advocates new law to prevent milk adulteration

Punjab: The committee on cooperatives and allied activities of the assembly has recommended that a new law should be made to check adulteration in milk and milk products, with provisions for stringent punishment in such cases. This will not only protect human health from adulterators but also increase the income of dairy farmers. The report of the committee, headed by Sardulgarh MLA Gurpreet Singh Banwali, has made recommendations to improve the cooperative sector in the state. The report was tabled in the budget session. After deliberations with Milkfed officials, the committee concluded that 99 per cent of the milk reaching Milkfed plants is safe and free from adulteration.

Whenever milk supplied to Milkfed was found to be adulterated, it was observed that the illegal activity took place during the transportation of milk from collection centres in villages to the processing plant. Milk is tested for adulteration in villages. 16 FTIR-based screens have been installed at all milk collection centres in villages to check for adulterators. The quality of milk is again checked when it reaches the processing plants. If adulteration is found in the milk, the entire milk is thrown away. “Transporters should be dealt with strictly. Those supplying adulterated milk should be barred from being employed by Milkfed and all other cooperative societies in the state.

‘Proceed with cases properly’

Though the law states that those found adulterating any food item can be punished with up to five years of imprisonment, such cases are often not pursued properly. This must change,” the committee members said. The panel has also taken note of frauds found in various milk plants and recommended that investigations against erring officials should be conducted only by the SDM with the assistance of a technical-cadre officer. It has also been recommended that those involved in fraud and chargesheeted should not be posted at key posts.