Statewide raids launched, vigil tightened at borders
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 26 Feb: As the festival of Holi approaches, the Uttarakhand government has yet again launched a “comprehensive crackdown” on food adulteration. The Food Safety and Drug Control Administration, under the directives of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, has claimed to have intensified its drive against the sale of adulterated products.
Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Control Administration, Dr R Rajesh Kumar, today claimed that stringent action will be taken against those indulging in adulteration to ensure that citizens receive unadulterated and safe food products.
The government has stated that, to tackle the issue, special squads and mobile inspection teams have been deployed across the state. Additional Commissioner and Drug Controller Tajbar Jaggi also claimed that operations are being carried out in, both, Garhwal and Kumaon divisions. He stated that the department has set up a vigilance cell to address complaints, and surveillance teams are closely monitoring food markets. Nodal officers in every district, along with food inspectors, are actively collecting samples from various establishments. He added that mobile testing units have also been dispatched to key locations for on-the-spot analysis.
Given the high demand for dairy products during Holi, officials are claiming to be primarily testing samples of mawa, paneer, and khoya, items commonly used in festive sweets. ‘Intensive checking’ is underway in districts such as Dehradun, Haridwar, and Udham Singh Nagar, where complaints about adulteration are most frequent. Jaggi also emphasised coordination with food safety officials from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to prevent the entry of contaminated products.
The government has claimed that the authorities have heightened checks at state entry points, including Asarodi check-post in Dehradun, where dairy products from outside Uttarakhand, particularly being brought from district Saharanpur are being “thoroughly examined”. The government aims to curb the influx of substandard and adulterated goods into the state, particularly from regions with a history of food safety violations.
With Holi just around the corner, the administration has resolved to maintain zero tolerance against food adulteration. Whether these measures lead to lasting change or remain another seasonal effort can only be seen in the weeks ahead.
While such sampling drives are carried out annually before major festivals like Holi and Diwali, follow-up action and penalties against adulterators remain rare. Despite repeated warnings and testing campaigns, little accountability is seen to be enforced on offenders, raising concerns over the effectiveness of these measures. Critics argue that without stringent legal action and transparency in test results, the annual sampling drive remains a mere formality rather than an effective deterrent against adulteration.
