Jalandhar(Parteek Singh): Milk is a comestible which is widely consumed in Punjab in the form of tea, hot milk, coffee and several dairy products are made from milk such as Paneer and Ghee. The Progressive Dairy Farmers Association has surveyed where 40 per cent of dairy products like milk, paneer, ghee and curd are available in non-packing form are adulterated.
Source person Daljit Singh Sadarpura said that milk, paneer, curd, khoa and even milk powder which is sold in Punjab is adulterated at large. He said that adulterated milk was initiated a decade ago after five years 20 per cent of milk products were being sold illegally under the shadow. But the ratio is now at par shocking to 40 per cent in Punjab.
While giving the facts Sadarpura said that authentic and non-adulterated paneer costs around Rs 220 per kg, but during the wedding or other functions paneer is bought at Rs 120 per kg on wholesale. How can someone sell a product lesser than its making cost, here comes the adulteration where the making of paneer using refined, chemical and flavour costs less than half amount of real paneer, said Daljit Singh.
Nearly 50 cows dairy which is established spending more than 1 crore, produce the same dairy products and same quantity, which adulterated dairy produce at only Rs 2 to 3 lakhs investment. The crises do not end here, Khoya which is used to prepare sweets is also adulterated and supplies come from UP and Haryana. Urea, surf, shampoo and other chemicals are used to prepare adulterated milk.
Apart from this, Sadarpura said that SGPC bought Desi Ghee at the tender price of Rs 340 per kg, but was impossible in that season to sell Ghee at that price, the maximum believable price of Ghee would be Rs 390. Respectively, milk powder was bought by SGPC at Rs 186 per kg which is also not possible price as making cost is near 260 per kg. he demanded probe in quality of products.
Replying to a question regarding how can we identify adulterated milk, Sadarpura said that there is no such way to access whether the dairy product is adulterated or not as the flavour is added to it, so that no one could smell and check the quality. He said it can only be checked at laboratories in the city.
He said our association is ready to work with the government as volunteers if they are ready to take action against illegal production of milk. The association would work under shadow to catch culprits behind this business.