Giving top priority to the health and safety of the people of Uttar Pradesh during the festive season, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered strict action against adulterated food products on the occasion of Diwali. Under his directive, the state government’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department launched a special campaign from October 8 to 17, during which large quantities of adulterated and unhygienic food items were seized and destroyed across the state.
During the campaign, 4,621 inspections, 2,085 raids, and 2,853 sample tests were conducted. So far, 2,993 quintals of adulterated food items have been seized, estimated to be worth ₹3.88 crore, while 1,155 quintals of food materials have been destroyed, worth approximately ₹1.75 crore. In Unnao, Mathura, and Lucknow, three FIRs have been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Indian Penal Code) 2023.
No Compromise on Public Health
Dr Roshan Jacob, Secretary of the Food Safety and Drug Administration, stated that under the direction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the government is ensuring that the festive celebrations in the state are safe, clean, and enjoyable. She emphasised that no compromise will be made with public health during the festive period, and fake or adulterated food products are being destroyed immediately to protect consumers.
Major Crackdowns in Various Districts
- Unnao: 215 kg of khoya seized and destroyed; 1 FIR filed
- Mathura: 400 kg of adulterated paneer destroyed
- Lucknow: 802 kg of khoya destroyed
- Jhansi: 1,200 kg of khoya seized
- Hathras: 790 kg of adulterated pickle seized; 3,000 kg of spoiled pickle destroyed
- Bulandshahr: 3,000 kg of adulterated rasgullas and gulab jamuns seized
- Mirzapur: 1,478 kg of adulterated khoya destroyed
- Saharanpur: 1,100 kg of khoya destroyed
- Hapur: 6,000 litres of refined soybean oil seized
Strict Action on Milk, Khoya, Paneer, and Sweets
- Kanpur Dehat: 500 litres of milk, 400 kg of khoya, 2,200 kg of barfi, 250 kg of peda, and 358 kg of sweet cakes destroyed
- Gorakhpur: 1,400 kg of khoya and paneer seized; 1,000 litres of mustard oil destroyed
- Meerut: 71 litres of palmolein oil, 20 kg of milk powder seized; 2,500 kg of khoya and sweets destroyed
- Etah: 340 litres of mustard oil and 900 kg of ghee destroyed
- Kheri: 871 kg of food items seized, 50 kg destroyed
- Agra, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, and Muzaffarnagar: Adulterated items worth lakhs of rupees seized
Action at Toll Plazas and Highways
- Sahibabad Toll: 750 kg of paneer seized
- Hapur Toll (Chhijarsi): 1,500 kg of paneer seized
- NH-34, GT Road, Kanpur: 4,040 kg of khoya seized
- Barabanki Toll: 910 cartons of adulterated sweets seized
- Kanpur Panki Road: 2,450 kg of khoya destroyed
Government Appeals to the Public
The state government has urged the public to immediately report any information regarding adulteration or counterfeit products to the department confidentially. Complaints can be lodged through the toll-free number 1800-180-5533 or WhatsApp number 9793429747. To report fake or substandard medicines, the WhatsApp number 8756128434 is available.
The government has assured that the identity of the complainants will be kept strictly confidential, and strict action will be taken against the offenders.
