Rotten meat scandal : PDP leader urges strengthened food safety measures in J&K

Srinagar, Aug 12: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Zuhaib Yousf Mir on Tuesday called for expanded food safety measures in Jammu and Kashmir amid the ongoing rotten meat scandal that has shocked the region.”The substandard, rotten, unbranded, and stale meat scam unfolding in Kashmir evokes profound alarm, underscoring the moral degradation plaguing our society,” he said in a statement issued here. “Over the past 15-16 years, such practices have directly fueled the rise of lifestyle diseases and even fatal ones like cancer.”Mir commended the government’s stringent actions against these morally bankrupt perpetrators, bolstered by fatwas from religious scholars and relentless pursuits by food safety officers. Beyond the current raids on rotten meat, he urged comprehensive investigations and similar operations in the masala (condiments), milk, and mineral water industries. “Recent revelations, such as reports of worms detected in mineral water and the arrest of a man in Baramulla for producing counterfeit chemical milk using potassium hydroxide pellets, highlight the urgent crisis,” he said.The PDP leader stated that food safety is paramount to public health, and the J&K government must rigorously enforce regulations through inspections while educating consumers to make informed choices, thereby mitigating risks and promoting well-being.To ensure enduring food security, Mir called for a vigilant, proactive system active year-round, regardless of scandals. “This requires dedicated budgetary allocations for checkpoints, testing labs, and manpower in every district, safeguarding the health of our people for generations to come,” he said.