Punjab to battle for its quality control crusader

PFA DG has been told to report to the Balochistan government

LAHORE: Punjab Government plans to resist the transfer of its crusader who has been battling to improve the standard of edible items in the province.

Director General Noorul Amin Mengal has been ordered to report to the Balochistan government by the Establishment Division Islamabad. The BS-19 officer, who in less than one year expanded the Punjab Food Authority to the entire province and also had 16 new regulations passed, seems to be in the crosshairs of influential people in the food industry.



In a letter dated 12 September 2017 from the Establishment Division, the Punjab chief secretary was ordered to relieve Mengal, while the PFA chief was also warned of disciplinary action if he did not report to the Balochistan Government within a stipulated time period.

The letter from Establishment Division was in pursuance of a previous letter sent on August 9, 2017.

According to well-placed sources, Punjab Food Authority Director General made a lot of foes during his posting. Through the regulation, PFA brought multiple checks to the food industry and these did not sit well with many operators of the food industry.

Under his reign, the Punjab Food Safety and Standard Regulation 2017 were approved in the 20th board meeting of the authority earlier this year. The new legislation brought many edible and drinkable items under PFA’s regulation regime.

In a similar meeting, the board also granted permission for a more stringent fining regime to enforce the new regulations. According to the new laws, five years’ time was given to milk vendors to stop selling loose produce and convert to pasteurised milk. At the same time, Akbari Mandi was ordered to stop selling loose spices and tea, while three years were granted to vendors to halt the sale of loose cooking oil.



It also brought alcoholic beverages under its domain. PFA has also introduced checks on eggs and fish and introduced wider inspection on bottled water.

The authority introduced inspections of school cafeterias and banned carbonated drinks. The move was faced with a lot of resistance, but the authority went through with its plan to ensure the better of school-going children.

The authority also brought in fortification of cooking oil and is also in the process of banning banaspati ghee.

PFA also directed food producers not to misguide people through publicity and packaging. It also managed to heavily fine five star hotels, thus ensuring nobody was above the law.

Sources revealed that certain people in the food industry were determined to have Mengal transferred out of the province. They said that the authority, established in 2012, could not make any substantial progress apart from raids on upscale food outlets. The sources added that since September last year, when Mengal took charge, the authority managed to expand to the entire province and got over a dozen regulations passed.

They went on to say that the Punjab Government had a written cancellation request in public interest, telling the Establishment Division that his services were necessary. They said that content of the letter written to the Establishment Secretary also raised concerns about the timing of the officer’s transfer. They sources stated the letter pointed out that people may perceive that the DG was transferred after pressure which was asserted from certain quarters.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2017.