Officials entrusted with the responsibility of checking food products time and again: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday instructed his officials to develop "clean street food hubs" in Varanasi and Lucknow.

He held review meeting with Food Safety and Drug Administration officials at Lok Bhavan in Lucknow. He said awareness campaign should be held to expose fake food brands and strict action should be taken against those selling expired food products.

"Before adding vitamins and other useful substances in the flour, milk and salt etc, make sure to do area-specific research and supply it as per the requirements. Do not mix excess vitamins in foods to benefit companies," the Uttar Pradesh Chief minister told officials at the meeting.

He said the officials should be entrusted with the responsibility of checking the quality of food products time and again.

Talking about the delay in issuing a license to wholesalers and retailers of drugs, the chief minister instructed the officials to take the process online and issue licenses to the eligible ones within a week. No leniency in the process will be tolerated, he asserted.

Talking about the lack of laboratories for testing food or beverage samples, he instructed officials to open 12 new laboratories in the commissionerates within the next six months.

He also directed officials to speed up the work of filling vacant posts in the department through public service commission.

During the meeting, Yogi Adityanath directed officials to depute a full-time Deputy Commissioner in Food Safety and Drug Administration and appoint a full-time Drug Controller.