Not so sweet: Food authority victimising us, say milkmen

Milk suppliers and vendors from several districts rally on The Mall.

LAHORE: The Milk Suppliers and Sellers Association staged a protest demonstration on Monday on The Mall against a Punjab Food Authority’s (PFA) crackdown on vehicles carrying adulterated milk.

Hundreds of milkmen took part in the protest rally that had started from Nasser Bagh. They marched to Charing Cross and tried to enter the Provincial Assembly building but police stopped them.

Milk suppliers and vendors stage a protest demonstration on The Mall. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK /EXPRESS

The protesters from Okara, Kasur, Dipalpur, Sharaqpur and Wagha carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the authority and raised slogans.

Traffic on The Mall and adjacent roads remained suspended during the protest.

Chaudhry Jamshed, the association’s general secretary, said the authority had been impounding their vehicles to facilitate companies dealing in packaged milk.Jamshed said nearly five million litres of milk from several districts was sold at milk shops in Lahore. He accused PFA officials of impounding their vehicles without following procedures.

Jamshed said the PFA officials often dumped the seized milk without testing it in a laboratory. The speaker sent former law minister Rana Sanaullah to hold talks with the protesters when they tried to enter the assembly premises. The speaker also formed a committee under Sanaullah to address the association’s concerns.



The association called off the protest after the committee assured it that its demands would be considered.

A PFA official said the association’s claims were baseless.

“We use modern technology to check the quality of milk on the spot. Food safety officers use the powers under the Punjab Food Authority Act 2011,” the official said requesting anonymity.



According to a PFA report covering its performance during 2013-14, 1,814 samples collected from 1,106 vehicles carrying milk and 4,406 shops were found adulterated.

The report said 64,427 litres of substandard milk was disposed of. It said rapid tests were conducted to check the quality of milk. It said adulterated milk had added urea, detergents and starch.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2014.