Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday (October 15) held a meeting to discuss a proposed new law aimed at permanently preventing frequently reported incidents of mixing human waste, inedible, contaminated substances in food items and said that the government will soon introduce a new legislation to prevent such occurrences.
The Chief Minister directed that if any personnel at a food establishment is found to be an infiltrator or an illegal foreign national, strict action should be taken against them. He said that provisions will be made in the new legislation for imprisonment and fines for violating the law.
What happened at the meeting?
According to the Chief Minister, recent incidents various parts of the country involving contamination of food items such as juice, lentils, and bread with human waste or other dirty substances have been disturbing and adversely affect public health. These incidents also harm social harmony and are utterly unacceptable, he said.
“Given the importance of ensuring the purity of food products and maintaining public confidence in food safety, it is necessary to create a strict law. This law will apply to activities related to hotels, restaurants, dhabas, and street vendors. Violators of the law should face imprisonment and fines, and these offenses should be treated as cognizable and non-bailable,” he added.
Yogi said that the law must ensure that no anti-social elements can engage in any activities that involve mixing human waste, inedible, or filthy substances in food and beverages while hiding their identity.
“Every consumer should have the right to obtain essential information about food and beverage sellers and service providers. Sellers should be required to display signboards at their establishments, and all personnel working at food establishments must carry identification cards. Severe penalties should be in place for those using false names or providing incorrect information,” CM Yogi said.
