Srinagar: In a strong move to safeguard public health, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir on Wednesday took serious note of the alleged sale of rotten and unsafe meat in the Union Territory and issued a series of stern directions to government authorities.
The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal, was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Mir Umer through Counsel Shafqat Nazir. Senior Advocate Jehangir Iqbal Ganaie, acting as amicus curiae, also assisted the court.
During the hearing, the court impleaded several senior officials as party respondents, including the Commissioner Secretary of Sheep and Animal Husbandry, Commissioner Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Commissioner of Sales Tax, and the Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) of Kashmir and Jammu. These officers have been directed to file their responses by September 10, the next date of hearing.
The Bench expressed displeasure over the failure of the Commissioners of Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Jammu Municipal Corporation to submit their replies so far. It warned that if the replies are not filed before the next hearing, the officers concerned must appear in person before the court.
In a key directive, the Court instructed the IGP Jammu, IGP Kashmir, and the Commissioner of Food Safety to ensure that no unsafe meat is allowed to enter or be sold in the Union Territory. The Bench also took cognizance of a Daily Excelsior report about the seizure of 21 quintals of synthetic cheese and expired oil, directing respondents to file replies to the issue.
Observers note that this judicial intervention has been welcomed by civil society and public health advocates, who have long voiced alarm over weak enforcement of food safety standards in Jammu and Kashmir. The matter will now be reviewed on September 10, when compliance reports and departmental action will be scrutinized by the court.
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