IMPHAL, October 11: The Court of Adjudicating Officer (Food Safety)/Additional district Magistrate Imphal East has imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh penalty against M/s Ajay Traders for violating food safety norms and adulteration of food products.
Ajay Traders owned by Mulchand of Thangal Bazar was identified as the owner of adulterated edible mustard oil and betel nuts worth around Rs 50 lakh seized by a joint team of the Food Safety and Narcotics and Affairs of Border from a private godown at Khambam Lamkhai consignment earlier on June 9.
According to an order copy released by the Adjudicating Officer (Food Safety)/ADM Imphal, Somorjit Salam, the proprietor of Ajay Traders has been directed to deposit the fine under the Health department within seven days from the date of passing the order failing which the amount would be recovered as arrears of land revenue.
The court also directed the concerned food safety officer to dispose of the seized items by ways of destroying at a suitable place and expenditure if any in disposing the seized items shall be borne by the M/s Ajay Traders.
M/s Ajay Traders, if it wishes to continue the business should get itself registered and licensed with the designated officer Food Safety Officer, Imphal East, stated the order.
And once the firm is registered, the ban imposed on their business will be lifted for operation, it continued.
The court said that based on facts and documentary evidence on record submitted by the Food Safety officers Imphal East, the proprietor of the Ajay Traders against whom a case has been lodged (case no. 01/AO(FS)/ADM (IE)-2014), under the Food Security Act, 2006 has committed offence of storing edible mustard oil in violation of Section 26(2)(i)(ii)(iii) & 5 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and also violated regulation 2.2.1(6) of Food Safety and Standards (Food products standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011.