Deputy Chief Minister Punjab who is also the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Om Parkash Soni directed all the Food and Drug Control officers posted in the districts to discharge their duties keeping in view the public interest.In his first meeting with the officers at Punjab Bhawan on Friday, DCM categorically said ," Gone are the days of arm twisting on the name of sampling. Ensure sampling to provide quality food to public but at the same time no undue harassment of Food Business Operators(FBOs)would be tolerated."Redefining the monthly sampling targets, OP Soni said that the District Health Officers should not conduct sampling for the sake of sampling or for meeting monthly targets rather they should conduct effective sampling that would help to weed out black sheep in the food trade and prevent sale of substandard food items to the public."Ensuring the highest quality of food products for the people of the state is your primary responsibility; any deviation from the course of action will not be tolerated," said Soni.
On this occasion DCM directed the Drug Control Officers to check the illegal sale of habit forming drugs in the state. Refusing to permit opening of more private drug de-addiction centres in the state, he said that evaluation of the performance of all existing de-addiction centres in the state be conducted and thereafter if need be permission for more centres be granted. Condemning turning blind eye to the working of existing de-addiction centres, he said that monthly inspection be done and occasional surprise checks be made to ensure proper record of drugs purchased and supplied by these centres. "Most stringent action be taken if any mismatch in drug inventory is seen," said Soni.He cautioned the officers present in the meeting that any kind of corruption in the department would not be tolerated and immediate action would be taken against any officer / employee found guilty of the same.He appealed to the people of the state that if any officer / employee of the Health and Family Welfare Department seeks bribe, the information should be brought immediately to his notice.