The NHRC on Monday issued notices to the Jharkhand government, the state's police chief and the director general of health services in the health ministry over reports of spurious milk being sold in Dhanbad, a senior official said. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in a statement, said it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report dated December 30 that "refined and caustic soda is being mixed in one litre of milk to make it 15 litres of spurious and fake milk to reap profits in Dhanbad".

Reportedly, earlier only water used to be mixed with milk, but, now urea, surf and starch is being used to make spurious milk to earn profit at the cost of health of the people. This spurious milk cannot be detected even by a lactometer, it said. The Commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, amounts to violation of rights of the people. However, prima facie, it appears to be a "culpable negligence on the part of the public servants".

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and director general of police of Jharkhand, and the director general of the health services (DGHS) in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, seeking reports within six weeks, the statement said. The chief secretary has been asked to submit a detailed report on the prevalence of spurious milk selling; the DGP has been specifically asked about the registration of FIRs by mentioning the penal offences invoked, progress of investigation and the details of the accused persons, if any. The report must also mention the preventive actions, initiated by the police, it added.

The DGHS, who is ex officio chairman of the Central Committee for Food Standards, has to submit a report regarding the preventive action taken or proposed to be taken to eradicate selling of spurious milk and other food items in the state of Jharkhand, the statement said. The Commission has further observed that despite the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act in force, "it appears that it is not being implemented effectively in Jharkhand".

The Act provides enormous power for inspecting any place where the food item is manufactured, stored for sale or even the food items that have been kept for adulteration. The power has also been given to seize such adulterated food item and to take all legal actions against the seller or manufacturer of food items, it added. According to the media report, there is a demand for three lakh litres of milk in Dhanbad, while the production is only 1.90 lakh litres. This is the reason there is a big market for spurious milk. It is also reported that one kg of skimmed milk is sold for Rs 320-340. After mixing refined oil and caustic soda, one kg becomes 15 kg of milk. Then total sale output of milk is Rs 825, the statement said.

Reportedly, there is a possibility of infection in stomach leading to cancer. The testing of refined and caustic soda is done in a laboratory. It can be tested at home also. By mixing para-Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde chemical in the milk, its colour turns yellowish indicating urea in it; it becomes red by putting rosalic acid indicating caustic soda in it; iodine solution turns it bluish or grey indicating starch in it, it added.