PFA, traders lock horns over rat fines

A new dispute has erupted between the Punjab Food Authority (PFA)'s Rawalpindi chapter and the Kiryana Merchants Association (KMA) after hefty fines have been imposed over the presence of rats in shops, and the presence of rat droppings in essential goods and food items including pulses, rice and gram flour.

The authority has started imposing heavy fines from Rs50,000 to Rs75,000 on grocery and retail shops for lack of cleanliness due to rats and rat droppings, inviting protests by the association.

The food authority's administration says the presence of rat droppings in pulses, rice, gram flour and other items indicates unhygienic conditions in shops.

Shopkeepers, however, complain that after closing shops and warehouses, rats infiltrate into the commercial properties through small holes and sewage pipes. It's necessary to start a cleaning and rat-killing campaign in the streets and markets. According to traders, they keep killing rats on their own and also install mouse traps in shops and warehouses.

They urged the food authority to ask the Municipal Corporation and Town Committees to start a rat-killing campaign instead of issuing heavy challans to shops. Shopkeepers cannot use poison in shops and warehouses to kill rats.

KMA has decided to raise the issue of challans and heavy fines based on rats and rat droppings before the Director General of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA). The central leaders are expected to meet the DG in two to three days.

According to the authority, rat droppings have been found in large numbers in food items like pulses, gram flour, wheat flour, rice and other edible items in many shops. These droppings are extremely dangerous and harmful to human health. These items may be cleaned in homes, but 100% cleanliness of these droppings is not possible in the food items of small and big hotels.