ISLAMABAD: Senior special magistrate of Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Wednesday sealed the outlet of Tehzeeb Bakery in Blue Area – a popular chain in Islamabad, as six of its staff members were tested positive for the hepatitis C Virus (HCV).
Special Magistrate Sardar Asif sealed the bakery. According to the magistrate court, six employees of the said bakery had been tested positive for HCV during testing by CDA’s health directorate last month.
Later, the health directorate asked the bakery owner to send the said employees on leave as they were unfit to work but according to the health directorate, the bakery owner did not comply with this directive. Meanwhile, the health directorate referred the case to the court of special magistrate, who on Tuesday, sealed the bakery.
The magistrate led CDA’s team and conducted the operation. Two employees, who were tested positive, including a sales manager, were present on duty. Therefore, the said outlet has been sealed.
A sealing order affixed at the gate of the outlet stated: “Six employees of Tehzeeb Bakery Blue Area have been tested positive for hepatitis. The tests were conducted by health directorate CDA. The management of bakery through health directorate had been informed about the positive results and asked to send the workers on rest. But they did not comply.”
Meanwhile, the matter was brought into the notice of the court and it was pleaded that the employees in question were still not sent on leave, which is a heinous crime and can cause spread of HVC amongst the general public, therefore, the bakery is being sealed to avoid an outbreak among the public, the sealing order stated.
Director of Tehzeeb Bakers Chaudhry Rashid Ali said that four out of six employees had already been sent home last month immediately after their positive results and the responsible officer at the outlet concealed the matter from the management of the bakery regarding the remaining two that led to the sealing of the bakery.
He said that the remaining two had also been sent on leaves as well.
“Let me make it clear, the two employees, whose matter was concealed by staff, had nothing to do with baking and handling of food, therefore, there is no question of spread of any disease,” he said.
President of the Restaurant Association Chaudhry Mohamamd Farooq during his visit to the sealed bakery condemned the CDA’s action, stating that CDA mishandled the matter and instead of affixing a short sealing order, it pasted a charge-sheet type order on the gate of the bakery. This action will badly affect the business, he said and added that according to the outlet’s owner, none of the six employees had any role in handling of food.
He said that four employees had already been sent home last month and the remaining two had also been sent on leaves.
Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2023
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