Ahead of Rakhi Purnima, the Odisha Health Department has intensified inspections across sweet shops and food establishments to curb adulteration and ensure food safety. A team from the Food Safety Department conducted surprise raids at several sweet shops in the Pahala area using the Food Safety on Wheels mobile testing van.

The inspection team visited numerous sweet shops located on both sides of the road in Pahala and collected samples of sweets, chhena and paneer for testing. The sudden raids created concern among shopkeepers, with several reportedly shutting their establishments and leaving the area after seeing the enforcement team.

The inspections have gained significance amid growing concerns over the sale of adulterated or analogue paneer in the market. Reports about the use of substitute ingredients in paneer have raised concerns among consumers as well as sweet shop owners, hotels and restaurant operators.

Analogue paneer, when sold as such, is required to carry proper labelling under food safety regulations. Concerns have been raised over products allegedly made using vegetable fats, starch and other ingredients instead of milk fat.

The latest enforcement drive is aimed at checking the quality of food products being sold to consumers, particularly during the festive season when demand for sweets and dairy products rises sharply.

The issue is not limited to Pahala. Concerns over suspected adulterated paneer have also emerged in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and other parts of Odisha. Enforcement teams have reportedly seized large quantities of suspected adulterated products during inspections in different areas.

The growing concern has prompted questions over the quality of food being served to consumers and the need for stronger monitoring of food businesses. With Rakhi Purnima approaching, authorities are expected to continue inspections to ensure that consumers get safe and quality food products.

The key question now is whether the intensified crackdown will effectively prevent adulterated food from reaching consumers and ensure greater accountability among businesses involved in the food trade.

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Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Women & Child Development Minister Pravati Parida on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi ahead of the release of the fifth instalment of the SUBHADRA scheme.

During the meeting, Parida briefed the Prime Minister on the preparations for the fifth instalment, which is scheduled to be released on August 28 on the occasion of Rakhi Purnima. The instalment will be disbursed from Nayagarh in Odisha.

Under the fifth instalment, each eligible woman beneficiary will receive ₹5,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). According to the latest preparations, 1,03,26,162 eligible women beneficiaries are set to receive the assistance, involving a total transfer of more than ₹5,160 crore.

Parida apprised the Prime Minister of the steps being taken by the Odisha Government to ensure the assistance reaches all eligible beneficiaries in a timely and seamless manner. The government has focused on beneficiary verification, e-KYC, Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, NPCI mapping and other banking arrangements to prevent delays in the transfer.

The Deputy Chief Minister also highlighted the importance of the fifth instalment in strengthening women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion across Odisha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the SUBHADRA scheme in Bhubaneswar on September 17, 2024. The flagship women-centric scheme aims to provide ₹50,000 to each eligible woman over five years. Under the scheme, beneficiaries receive ₹10,000 annually in two instalments of ₹5,000 each through DBT.

The release of the fifth instalment marks another major milestone in the implementation of SUBHADRA and is aimed at strengthening the financial independence of women while ensuring transparent and efficient delivery of welfare benefits.

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