JMC fighting a losing battle against milk adulteration Hurdles: Staff shortage, lack of equipment, 'inadequate' police cover

Jammu, October 6
The attack on a team of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), including Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma, by milk suppliers yesterday has yet again brought to the fore the blatant show of strength by "mafia", which controls the supply in the city.

Sources said though a campaign had been launched by the civic authorities to curb the influx of adulterated milk, suppliers and shopkeepers were working in tandem to earn profits at the cost of consumers' health.

The incident has also highlighted the failure of the successive governments to establish a strong movement in the state to check the monopoly of some people on the supply of milk.

JMC Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma said, “We will not be deterred by such acts. The municipality is determined to deal with adulteration of milk. We have decided to intensify the campaign against the menace in the coming days.” Dr Sharma had received injuries on his face after being attacked by milk suppliers, mostly Gujjars, yesterday.

However, officials said checking milk was not possible on a daily basis as thousands of litres was consumed every day in the city. “The municipal corporation is facing shortage of manpower and requires mobile equipment for quality checking. A random tour is undertaken, and that too, without police cover most of the times,” said a JMC official on the condition of anonymity.

Officials said the attack showed the extent to which suppliers could go. Sources said several prominent shopkeepers were hand in glove with suppliers and were openly defying authorities in the absence of strong laws.

To meet the need of milk of the growing population, the state imports nearly 6 lakh metric tonnes of milk annually from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and keeping a tab on its quality is a herculean task for the civic authorities.

In 2011, a study by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) had found that 83 per cent of milk sold in urban districts of the state was unsafe for consumption.

There are 71 wards spread over 112 sq km which make up Jammu city. Some of its colonies came up after 1990. The health wing of the corporation has the responsibility of ward no-1 to ward no-48. The remaining wards are looked after by the legal meteorology department.

‘Not deterred by attack’

JMC Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma, who received injuries on his face after being attacked by milk suppliers on Saturday, said, “We will not be deterred by such acts. The municipality is determined to deal with adulteration of milk. We have decided to intensify the campaign against the menace in the coming days.”