The High Court has asked the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department to ensure that no flood contaminated food items are sold in Kashmir. In an application, advocate G A Lone had submitted before the court that dietary items contaminated with the flood waters are being openly sold in the market and there is no check on such sales. A division bench of the High Court, comprising of Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice A M Magrey directed the director CAPD to ensure no contaminated food items are sold in the market. The court has listed the matter after a week along with the main Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate G M Wani versus director CAPD. In Wani’s PIL, on July 19, the High Court had asked government to give wide publicity to fair price of essential commodities in the state to enable general public to have access to the information “so that the profiteering and overcharging is giving a burial.” CAPD department was also directed to give “serious consideration” to the suggestion of opening own fair price shops in the state. “It should be known to public through television and radio that the fair price lists are available and can be downloaded and even cell phones could be used for checking the fair price. Such a course would enable members of general public to have access to the information so that the profiteering and overcharging is giving burial,” the Court had said. The price list, it had said, should be highlighted and the displayed on the television and shall also be announced on the radio. “A direction is issued to the television as well authorities (Doordarshan Srinagar) to permit CAPD Department to publish and announce the price commodities,” it said, underling that it has to be displayed not only in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar but in all other tehsil headquarters. The court had directed the Srinagar Municipal Corporation to identify 20 places where hoardings will be erected to display price commodities as fixed by the CAPD. The place should be identified in consultation with Deputy Director, CAPD Department. At this point, Advocate General suggested that such hoardings shall also be erected at grand mosques and shrines. He also submitted that a communication has been sent to the Railways who have recommended the case to higher authorities of Delhi for according sanction. “Once the general public is aware of the fair price of essential commodities, then the overcharging is likely to come to an end,” the court reiterated. In another direction, the bench asked SMC to constitute 16 teams comprising at least two members of Enforcement Department, and each of them would check overcharging, hoardings and profiteering in two out of total 32 wards in the Corporation. “Another suggestion made is that the CAPD Department may open their own fair price shops in various areas of Srinagar and Jammu cities and then the same be expanded to other tehsil headquarters; suggestion is worthy of serious consideration and the decision be taken in that regard before the next date of hearing,” the court said and asked CAPD as well as SMC to file status report. At the same time, Advocate G Wani, petitioner in person, expressed an apprehension that only paper work is being done without achieving any substantial success on the ground. He pointed out that the fair price fixed by the Committee comprising of the officers of CAPD Department, voluntary organization and some NGOs have not adhered to and the sellers have been overcharging, profiteering and black marketing. “We grant liberty to Wani to bring before the court or before the authorities by giving details particulars, so that, suitable action against either by the court or by the authority be initiated.”