FAISALABAD, Nov 28: Chief Secretary (CS) Javed Mahmood got the contractor of DHQ Hospital canteen arrested on charges of selling unhygienic food here on Friday. He also announced launching a campaign against adulteration and negligent food inspectors throughout the province.

The chief secretary inspected the DHQ Hospital canteen and found that adulterated food items were being sold. Following observing this pathetic condition, the chief secretary ordered sealing the establishment forthwith and arresting its owner besides registering a case against food inspector concerned.

Reprimanding Health EDO Dr Muhammad Siddique, the chief secretary said the department officials had been doing nothing against food inspectors who had failed to ensure provision of pure food items to the masses.

He asked the EDO to emphatically pursue the adulteration case. He also ordered registration of cases against all “unscrupulous elements” involved in menace of adulteration.

He said the government would start a campaign to ensure provision of pure food items to the masses at public places, hotels, canteens and bakers and any sort of adulteration would not be tolerated.

Action against corrupt food inspectors would also be ensured, he said and warned the officials concerned that it was their responsibility to monitor the performance of food inspectors and the delinquent ones would land in jails.

The chief secretary also ordered a probe into substandard construction of hospital’s emergency block.

He said it was prime responsibility of the government officers to ensure the protection of state-run institutions.

During his visit to this division, the chief secretary also visited Chiragh Town where gastroenteritis claimed the lives of three people, including two sisters, a month ago.

Wasa director Dr Arshad informed the chief secretary that the agency had planned new water and sewerage schemes for the locality and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had issued Rs9.7 million in this connection.

He said all illegal connections in the area had been disconnected to avert any further loss. However, he said that the agency had not been providing water supply to this area previously.

He said the agency had also started work on replacing old water supply lines with new ones.

During a visit to Clock Tower crossing, the chief secretary directed District Coordination Officer Saeed Wahla to take action against officials, who had allowed illegal constructions in the congested bazaars, besides removing such constructions. He also ordered the renovation of Clock Tower.

Commissioner Zahid Saeed said that during his current visit the chief secretary had only warned negligent officers instead of taking any action against them. However, he said, the chief secretary would not exonerate any negligent officer during his next visit to the division.

The chief secretary also visited Tandlianwala and Samundri towns. Sports Secretary Rao Iftikhar, who had been assigned the task to conduct inspections of Samundri Town, informed the chief secretary that encroachments had been removed from different places and some petrol pumps had also been sealed on various charges.