The government of Punjab has doubled fines and punishments on conviction of selling substandard food and having unhygienic conditions according to new ordinance.
According to reports, Punjab government has also given additional powers to Punjab Food Authority (PFA) while dedicated courts will be established to hold hearings of substandard meat and hygiene-related cases.
The courts are entitled to sentence culprits from one month to life imprisonment. The ordinance is capable of imposing fines ranging from Rs 10 lac to Rs 30 lac.
In case the substandard food claims consumer’s life, the culprit will be fined Rs 20 lac to Rs 30 lac and can be jailed for as many as ten years or to life. Any harm done to consumer will result in Rs 1 lac to Rs 10 fine and three-month to three-year imprisonment.
Moreover, selling of unhygienic food that may not necessarily have caused any harm to the consumer can lead to one to six months in prison and a fine ranging from Rs 1 lac to Rs 10 lac. If authorities catch a food supplier with unsanitary environment, he can be sentenced to three days to a six-month imprisonment. The fine for that will be Rs 30,000 to Rs 10 lac.
According to the new law, trials for violations of PFA’s rules will be held in special courts.
