Health Dept raids Verka plant, collects samples

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 23

Taking cognizance of the complaints by city residents, the Patiala Health Department raided the Verka Milk Plant, near Hassanpur, on the Patiala- Sirhind road, here on Monday.

Under the campaign ‘Tandarust Punjab Mission’, acting on the order of Civil Surgeon, Harish Malhotra, the Health Department inspected the said facility and collected samples of milk and products thereof.

A team of the Health Department, led by District Health Officer Dr Krishan Singh, collected the samples. Department officials said samples would be sent to the laboratory and after the report of the lab was out; appropriate action would be taken.

Talking about the raid, Krishan Singh said: “We have not found any violations, related to safety precautions, during the raid.”

As per the sources, the inspections were done after the matter was brought into the notice of the Deputy Commissioner, by the residents of the Patiala city. The DC marked the complaints to the Civil Surgeon.

The Health Department added that if the samples collected from the Verka Milk Plant would fail, then legal action would be taken against the Verka Milk Plant.

A week ago, a matter was raised by Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA, Simrajit Singh Bains, who had alleged that Rs 5 to Rs 6 per packet were being charged “extra” from consumers in the name of fat content and SNF.

MK Madan, General Manager, Patiala Verka Milk Plant, said: “It was just routine inspection. The Health Department has taken samples.”  While replying to the allegations of low-fat content, Madan, said, “In Patiala plant, there is no such issues. Reports will clear the doubts.”

Loss in fat content of milk

• Earlier this year, an audit report prepared by the Punjab Cooperative Societies Department says that in April and May, Verka Milk plants collected 14.75 lakh kg of fat and 33.53 lakh kg Solid Not Fat (SNF) and recovered 14.50 lakh kg fat and 32.29 lakh kg SNF respectively. It indicates 0.22 per cent shortage of fat content in the milk, resulting in a loss of 3,247 kg fat, the value of which comes to Rs 9.98 lakh.
• Last month, following allegations of adulteration in Verka dairy products levelled by the Bains brothers of the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), the Vigilance Bureau had carried out a detailed inspection of Verka plants in Mohali and Ludhiana