RAWALPINDI: Military Lands and Cantonment Director General Maj Gen Tariq Zameer on Thursday inaugurated a food testing laboratory established at Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) office.Station Commander Brig Salman Nazar, RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Imran Gulzar, RCB Vice President Malik Munir Ahmed, elected members and other officials were present on the occasion.

The DG appreciated the initiative, adding that the laboratory would help control adulteration of food items.Adulterated food can cause deadly diseases, he said adding that awareness should also be raised about diseases caused by the consumption of defective and contaminated food.

He said that the latest machinery must be used to check adulteration and quality of food items and it is the responsibility of the state to provide quality food to the citizens.

In order to facilitate citizens, he said that the laboratory would launch a free service to collect door to door samples of food items. The quality of food items including milk, meat, carbonated drinks, oil and others would be checked and action would be taken against violators of rules.

Later, the newly constructed main entrance of the board was also inaugurated.Due to the function, the worst traffic jam was witnessed on The Mall as RCB turned the road into parking for visitors. The patients for Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and Military Hospital suffered a lot due to traffic congestion.

An RCB spokesman said that parking was allowed on The Mall for only a day due to inauguration ceremony.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2023