3 days ago
Big paneer scam: How your fav veg platter is adulterated and reaches your kitchen
Ranchi: Infamous for Jamtara and cybercrime, Jharkhand cops and the food safety officials are now waging a different war — a raging paneer scam. In less than a week, officials have seized thousands of kilograms of adulterated paneer worth lakhs across two different districts.
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Authorities are saying 'organised' gangs are flooding the markets with cheap and adulterated paneer which could have serious health implications on consumers.
Following the seizure of around 4,000 kg paneer from a Ranchi bound passenger bus from Bihar last week, authorities in Ramgarh on Monday morning recovered nearly one quintal stocks comprising paneer and khowa.
With Bihar links surfacing during the seizures, authorities have put all the districts bordering Bihar on alert, and directed regular raids to break the illegal supply chain.
Besides Bihar, sources in the state food safety department told TOI said that Bengal, another neighbouring state, is also a major supplier of such spurious items into Jharkhand markets.
For transit, the gangs are mostly using passenger buses and vans and carrying edibles and other goods to evade checks.
"Passenger buses are unlikely suspects, which serves as safe passage for transportation. For drivers and helpers of buses, it's an easy way to earn money," said a police official, who was part of the assist-team during the raid in Hazaribag.
Talking to TOI, Ramgarh food safety officer, Dipashri Srivastava said, "Such adulterated items are mainly coming from Khagariya, Patna, Chapra, Bhatiyarpur, Maneer and places bordering Jharkhand. Today's raid was based on a precise tip-off which led to the massive recovery." Although, she maintained that a cumulative fine of Rs 35,000 has been imposed on the three buses from where the consignment meant to Ranchi market, further punitive action will be taken on the bus and its handlers and owners following further probe.
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"We conducted an iodine test on paneer on the spot which testified it was adulterated. It was high on starch and araroot. Khowa samples are under test, after which they will be destroyed," she said.
Ranchi's food safety officer Subir Ranjan maintained that their analysis into the entire nexus revealed that Bihar and Bengal are the major suppliers of fake paneer and milk products to Jharkhand. The state's food safety cell with the help of local police is now trying to plug the entry points.
"We surprised the illegal traders by conducting raids in Hazaribag last week. Had we planned to raid in Ranchi once the buses reached, chances were that it may not have been successful or the quantum of seizure would have been less.
Today's raid in Ramgarh is another unconventional spot for raid. Our focus is to intercept such illegal consignment at places along the transit routes where one wont anticipate a potential raid," he said.
Detailing on the transit routes, he said, "Items coming from Bihar usually enter Jharkhand either through Koderma or Gaya route which converge at Barhi to further reach Ranchi and beyond. Similarly from Bengal, they either enter via Silli, Tamar on Ranchi border or via Kharagpur, Ghatshila to reach Jamshedpur and beyond. Govt's effort now is to plug those borders."
Ranjan said his office is in the process of mandating eateries and restaurants to retain bonafide bills of milk, paneer and milk products which are used by them on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. "This will add a deterrence ring on them to purchase adulterated items at a cheap rate and pass it to customers. As per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India norms, any food item which is being transported must have a valid certificate declaring it as fit and transportation with other details.
Also, it should have proper packaging with details mandated under the food safety act," he said.
