Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that provision of hygienic food items to the people is his mission and acknowledged that the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) is playing an important role in this regard. He expressed these views while addressing a video conference at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday. The video conference, which lasted for two hours, held a detailed review of the performance of PFA and its future line of action.
Shehbaz said the elements involved in the preparation of unhygienic food items deserve no leniency and they must be put behind the bar. "Adulteration in food items is a heinous crime and provision of edible items to the people according to health standards will be ensured at every cost. If the responsibility is fulfilled with hard work and commitment, then success will be achieved. The people cannot be left at the mercy of any adulteration mafia," he said.
"The adulteration mafia will not be allowed to play with the human health as the people are very dear to me." He directed that indiscriminate action should continue against the elements doing adulteration in eatables under the law and added that he will go to every extent to provide the right of quality eatable items to the people. He said action should be initiated after registration of cases against the owners involved in preparation and sale of adulterated and unhygienic food items.
He said cultivation of vegetables in contaminated water is equal to playing with the human lives and directed the PFA to continue action against the people found involved in it. He said the elements selling unhygienic items like ghee, cooking oil, milk, tea, spices and other things are a social menace as well as open enemies of the humanity. He said that food courts should be constituted for the Punjab Food Authority and added that immediate steps be taken to include measures relating to the food safety in the syllabus. The scope of PFA should be extended to the schools of 36 districts of the province maximum by December.
He further directed that arrangements should be made for the foreign training of the PFA staff and made it clear that training arranged through the sponsorships of food companies will be unacceptable in any way. The Punjab government shall provide training to the staff with its own resources. He directed to improve the core capacity of the PFA and added that immediate steps should be taken in this regard and human resource should be given special importance. He further said that mechanism of third-party audit should be designed and a short-, medium-and long-term plan, along with timeline, be devised to curb the menace of preparation and sale of unhygienic food items.
The CM appreciated the performance of DG PFA and his team. DG PFA Noor-ul-Amin Mengal gave a briefing about the working of the authority. Provincial Minister Mukhtar Barth, Chief Secretary, IG Police, secretaries of the concerned departments and experts attended the meeting from civil secretariat through a video link.