By: Sajidah Yousuf

Srinagar: Deputy Commissioner, Food Safety, Kashmir in a meeting revealed that under meat and other eatables drive, the food and safety organisation has imposed nearly eighteen lakh fine from April 2021 to 31 October 2021.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, P.K Pole was informed that several drives were launched for checking the adulteration of milk and milk products across Kashmir.

Also, 40 prosecutions were launched against the meat sellers or butchers who were selling the meat in insanitary conditions.

Pole in the meeting said that various complaints have been received regarding the meat provided to the public is not up to quality while as public has been charged for A-grade meat.

In a meeting it was revealed that nearly 528 total numbers of prosecutions were launched while 5000 inspections were carried out by Food Safety Compliance through regular inspection and sampling from April 2021to 31-10-2021.

“Penalty or fine imposed by the food and safety organisation was Rs 17,67,200 and the penalty including imprisonment was sixty thousand during that period,” reads the document.

Under the drive, the license fee realized by the organisation was nearly 50 lakh and 403500 values of food items were seized while 39800 values of food items were destroyed.

Pole was also informed that in addition to routine market checking, fortified mustard oil was tracked, identified and seized, sold by unscrupulous persons.

“Complaints with regard to presence of low quality eatables in the market have also been received which needs to be properly checked and stopped, besides a long term mechanism must be in place to check this menace,” reads the document. (KNO)

Srinagar: Charging of exorbitant fare by some cabs operating on different routes of Srinagar is taking a heavy toll on commuters.

Passengers alleged and complained that the common man is forced to pay extra fare as per the will of drivers. The commuters alleged that cabs plying on Dargah route from exchange road are overcharging fares and violating the fare rates fixed by the government through Transport Commissioner.

They said due to lack of check by the concerned department transporters are taking undue advantage, commuters are left with no option but to pay according to the will of the drivers, a passenger Jalees from Khanyar complained.

Commuters said overcharging in fares is unjustified as drivers are rarely strict to government rates and arbitrarily charge more and most importantly the quality of the service does not warrant a hike.

If you travel from exchange road to Baba-demb which is just a one kilometre distance, the sumo charges Rs 20 against the Rs 10, which is otherwise approved rate,” said Adil Ahmad, a commuter.

A sumo charges Rs 20 from Rainawari to Hazratbal. Thus, I have to spend Rs 40 daily from my home to school to attend classes,” said Adnan, a student.

The passengers also complained about overloading in the Sumos. Another passenger, Showkat Ahmad, said that as per the rules, the middle seat of the Sumo is reserved for three passengers.

But, he said, without caring for the rules, four passengers are pushed into the middle seat. “It becomes very inconvenient particularly when there is a female passenger,” he said.

Not only overcharging and overloading, commuters have accused the drivers of resorting to misbehavior.

“Whenever we complain about overcharging, they ask to get down from the vehicle and humiliate us. I was deboarded on Habak road during late hours before two days as driver on finding passengers for Shalimar route asked Habak passengers to deboard his cab ”, complained a female passenger from Habak.

The aggrieved passengers castigated the authorities for subjecting them to inconvenience, adding that transporters mostly Sumo drivers plying their vehicles on said roads are blackmailing the poor passengers who have been left with no other chance except to pay the fare as per the demand of the driver of the vehicle.

Commuters have urged authorities to implement proper transport fare rates across Srinagar city so that commuters do not get fleeced any more by the transporters charging exorbitantly from passengers.

Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Sajid Yahya couldn’t be available for the comments as he didn’t respond despite repeated calls being made to his phone. (CNS)