At least 12,183 kg of rotten meat and 7,665 kg of fake paneer were seized and destroyed across Jammu and Kashmir during the current financial year, Health Minister Sakina Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Replying to a question in the House, the Minister said that from April to December 2025, 12,183 kg of rotten meat was destroyed and an additional 2,139 kg was seized. The total value of the destroyed stock is estimated at Rs 29.19 lakh.
According to the data tabled in the Assembly, Srinagar district recorded the highest quantity of destroyed rotten meat at 4,220 kg, followed by Jammu at 3,881 kg and Kupwara at 1,520 kg.
The Minister further informed that 7,665 kg of paneer, valued at Rs 16.32 lakh, was seized and destroyed in Jammu and Samba districts during the same period.
The action followed 1,676 inspections carried out across the Union Territory during the Financial Year 2025–26 up to December 2025. The Minister was responding to a clubbed question raised by National Conference MLAs Saifullah Mir, Mubarak Gul, Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah and Hasnain Masoodi.
A total of 144 samples of meat and meat products and 173 samples of cheese were collected for laboratory analysis within and outside Jammu and Kashmir. Reports for all meat samples have been received, with one declared sub-standard and 17 found unsafe. Of the 173 cheese samples, reports for 157 have been received so far; 47 were declared sub-standard and one unsafe.
The Minister acknowledged a shortage of technical staff in the Union Territory’s two food-testing laboratories — located in Srinagar and Jammu. Against 19 sanctioned posts in each lab, 11 positions remain vacant.
She said action has been initiated against 18 food business operators found involved in the sale of unsafe meat and meat products in districts including Srinagar and Jammu, with most cases currently under process.
During the discussion, CPI(M) MLA M.Y. Tarigami and BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia sought details on enforcement measures, inter-departmental coordination, legal follow-up and preventive mechanisms to curb food adulteration.
Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather urged the government to strengthen the legal framework to combat food adulteration. He said if existing provisions are inadequate, the government should consider amending the Act to enhance the powers of the Food Safety Department, ensuring that public health is not compromised.