Bhopal, Apr 11 : Coming out in support of the agitating food item traders, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the Centre to reconsider the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, saying its provisions are against the small-time businessmen.
The Chief Minister, who held a meeting with a delegation of traders here last evening, said that the implementation of the Act will adversely affect the livelihoods of small-time businessmen and common people, official sources said today.
He said that the Act will benefit global food companies at the cost of common people and small businessmen and therefore, provisions and rules of the Act should be reconsidered within a specific time-frame and its implementation should be stalled till then.
Chouhan said that although the Union Government’s intention is to make healthy and safe food available to people, it should also ensure that small-time businessmen do not lose their livelihood.
“It will become difficult for small-time traders to run their business on roadside handcarts like those selling kachori, sweets, grocery items, confectionery and milk, among others,” he said.
Recently, Chouhan had also written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in which, he had said that small-time traders will be forced to close their businesses after the implementation of the Act.
Following a call of strike given by the Confederation of All India Traders, shop owners selling food items, restaurants and grocery shops had started their three-day strike from April 9.
The traders also met the Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Sushma Swaraj last night at her Bhopal residence and urged her to intervene on the issue.
The Chief Minister, who held a meeting with a delegation of traders here last evening, said that the implementation of the Act will adversely affect the livelihoods of small-time businessmen and common people, official sources said today.
He said that the Act will benefit global food companies at the cost of common people and small businessmen and therefore, provisions and rules of the Act should be reconsidered within a specific time-frame and its implementation should be stalled till then.
Chouhan said that although the Union Government’s intention is to make healthy and safe food available to people, it should also ensure that small-time businessmen do not lose their livelihood.
“It will become difficult for small-time traders to run their business on roadside handcarts like those selling kachori, sweets, grocery items, confectionery and milk, among others,” he said.
Recently, Chouhan had also written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in which, he had said that small-time traders will be forced to close their businesses after the implementation of the Act.
Following a call of strike given by the Confederation of All India Traders, shop owners selling food items, restaurants and grocery shops had started their three-day strike from April 9.
The traders also met the Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Sushma Swaraj last night at her Bhopal residence and urged her to intervene on the issue.
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