Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Abdul Gani Kohli said that the government is determined to provide safe and fresh dressed poultry items to the people of the state adding that any dealer selling unhygienic dressed chicken should be dealt according to law.
The Minister said this while chairing a meeting with senior officers of Animal Husbandry, Industries and Commerce, Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Food Safety, Medical and Health Education and Commercial Taxes, here today.
The meeting was convened to take stock of the measures being taken by the government to curb the menace of selling unhygienic dressed chicken by some unscrupulous chicken dealers to the people.
The Minister said that the government has put in place an effective mechanism to have a close watch on importing and selling of dressed chicken in the markets.
“Health and hygiene of food is an important factor in the day to day life of common people and the government will not compromise with the health of people by providing unhygienic food items to them”, the Minister said.
The Minister said that the testing laboratory of the Food and Safety Department meant for taking samples of dressed chicken shall be upgraded on modern lines where the samples shall be tested in the state instead of sending them outside which is time consuming.
Stressing upon the officers, Kohli instructed the concerned authorities to closely monitor the transportation of dressed chicken including those brought outside the state and ensure that only safe and hygienic dressed chicken are kept available in various markets for the people.
The Minister directed the concerned officers to intensify the market checking so that the people are not being cheated and also ensure that importers and traders shall maintain the quality standards.
The Minister directed the Sales Tax Department to conduct regular checks at Toll Post, Lakhanpur and Lower Munda, Qazigund in consultation with the Doctors of Animal and Sheep Husbandries and ensure that importers do not supply, besides, live stock, the dressed chicken in guise fish.
The meeting was informed that around 60-65 crore eggs and 9-10 crore birds are being imported annually to the state to meet the market requirement. The Minister asked the officers to make the department self sufficient to cater the local demand and to further reduce the import from other states. He said that this move will also generate employment for the unemployed youth of the state.
He instructed the officers of all allied departments to work with synergy and in a coordinated manner so the people are benefitted to a large extent.
Commissioner Secretary Industries and Commerce, Commissioner Secretary Animal Sheep Husbandry, senior officers of various departments attended the meeting.