Budgam, Nov 14 (KNO): Officials have seized around two tonnes of rotten meat at Budgam Railway Station over the past two days, with Police registering an FIR in connection with the first seizure and launching an investigation to identify the traders.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that around 1,600 kilograms of meat was seized on Friday after Railway Police alerted the Food Safety Department about foul smell emanating from the consignment.
Station House Officer (SHO) Railway Police Budgam, Benazir Iqbal, told KNO that the consignment was inspected on the spot by the Veterinary Department. “The doctor issued a certificate declaring the meat unfit for human consumption due to its highly deteriorated condition and potential health risks,” she said, adding. “The seized meat was disposed of in the presence of the Tehsildar, Executive Officer, Municipal Committee Budgam and officials of the Food Safety Department.”
“An FIR (No. 05) has been registered under Section 271 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), while further investigation is underway to identify those responsible for transporting and handling the consignment,” she said.
Iqbal said the consignment was unmarked and had not been booked in the name of any identifiable person. Police are also questioning railway authorities over how such a consignment was accepted without proper documentation.
She said transportation of meat requires proper documentation, including slaughterhouse, veterinary and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certificates, besides adequate refrigeration facilities to maintain the prescribed temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius or below.
However, the seized meat had arrived in ordinary packaging without ice or any refrigeration arrangement, she added.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Food Safety Budgam, Mufti Umar, said the department received a call from Railway Police at around 3 pm on Friday, following which a team rushed to the railway station for inspection.
He said the meat was found in a highly deteriorated condition, with containers leaking blood and emitting a foul smell. The consignment had also not been transported under the required frozen conditions of minus 18 degrees Celsius or below.
Mufti Umar said the findings of the Veterinary Surgeon were subsequently verified by the Food Safety team, including the Food Analyst and officials of the Mobile Food Testing Van.
He said a Magistrate deputed by the district administration issued an order for disposal of the seized meat to prevent it from entering the public distribution channel.
ANOTHER CONSIGNMENT
In a fresh development, another consignment weighing around four quintals (380 kilograms) of rotten meat was seized at Budgam Railway Station from a parcel train on Saturday.
An official told KNO that the fresh consignment was also found in a highly deteriorated condition and unfit for human consumption during inspection.
The official said the latest consignment was also destroyed as per the prescribed procedure in the presence of the concerned authorities.
The repeated seizures have raised serious questions over the transportation and acceptance of perishable food consignments through the railway network without proper documentation and adequate cold-chain arrangements.
The Assistant Commissioner urged people to report suspicious food consignments to the department, reiterating its commitment to ensuring food safety and protecting public health
1,600 KG OF BUFFALO MEAT DESTROYED
Meanwhile, an official spokesman said: “The FDA, J&K, along with the Railway Police, railway authorities and the District Administration, Budgam, seized and subsequently destroyed approximately 1,600 kg of buffalo meat at Budgam Railway Station following the detection of serious violations relating to its declaration, transportation and maintenance of prescribed cold-chain conditions.”
“The enforcement action was initiated following specific information received from the railway authorities regarding the transportation of a consignment of buffalo meat. Acting promptly on the information, the Food Safety Team, Budgam, inspected the consignment and it was observed that adequate refrigeration or dry-ice arrangements had not been made to maintain the prescribed transportation temperature of -18°C or below, thereby compromising the mandatory cold-chain requirements,” he said, adding, “The consignment was further subjected to preliminary testing through the Food Safety on Wheels facility, which indicated that the meat was unfit for human consumption. Accordingly, the entire consignment, weighing approximately 1,600 kg, was seized and subsequently destroyed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the prescribed procedures for disposal of food articles unfit for human consumption.”
It is pertinent to mention that, in an earlier enforcement action, the Food Safety Authorities had seized approximately 2,600 kg of meat in Srinagar. The FDA, J&K, continues to maintain strict vigilance across all districts to prevent the transportation, distribution and sale of unsafe and non-compliant food commodities, with stringent legal action being initiated against violators in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the rules and regulations framed thereunder—(KNO)