The food industry is perturbed over the licensing stipulation under the Food Safety and Standards Rules 2011. This mandates all those engaged in food-related trade and industry, including grocery dealers and hotels and restaurants, with an annual turnover above Rs 12 lakh, to obtain the state or central licences. Non-compliance of the rule calls for punishment up to six months and fine up to Rs 5 lakh.
According to the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce, no other Act entails such an "appalling and abnormal" punishment for pursuing business sans licence.
"Our delegates recently met Ghulam Nabi Azad, union minister for health and family welfare, and M Chandramouly, chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), to discuss the need for abolishing the licensing procedure as it would only resurrect the dreaded Inspector Raj. Instead they asked for retaining the registration procedure alone," said a press statement of the Chamber.
The statement further noted that the union finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, during the post-Budget discussions in the Rajya Sabha, had categorically assured that under no circumstances the concept of Inpector Raj would be revived in any department.
"The FSSAI has extended the time limit for obtaining the licence for the year 2012-13 up to August 4 and we hope that before this deadline our demand will be considered and the requirement for securing a licence under the new Act will be withdrawn," the Chamber said.
The Chamber had already requested the health minister and the FSSAI chief to defer initiation of action against the industry members for three years in order to create an awareness among food business operators and the food safety officers about the requirements of the Act.
With four months left for the expiry of the time-span given for obtaining licences, complaints against a few food safety officers for harassing small food business establishments and indulging in corrupt practices have already started surfacing.
According to the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce, no other Act entails such an "appalling and abnormal" punishment for pursuing business sans licence.
"Our delegates recently met Ghulam Nabi Azad, union minister for health and family welfare, and M Chandramouly, chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), to discuss the need for abolishing the licensing procedure as it would only resurrect the dreaded Inspector Raj. Instead they asked for retaining the registration procedure alone," said a press statement of the Chamber.
The statement further noted that the union finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, during the post-Budget discussions in the Rajya Sabha, had categorically assured that under no circumstances the concept of Inpector Raj would be revived in any department.
"The FSSAI has extended the time limit for obtaining the licence for the year 2012-13 up to August 4 and we hope that before this deadline our demand will be considered and the requirement for securing a licence under the new Act will be withdrawn," the Chamber said.
The Chamber had already requested the health minister and the FSSAI chief to defer initiation of action against the industry members for three years in order to create an awareness among food business operators and the food safety officers about the requirements of the Act.
With four months left for the expiry of the time-span given for obtaining licences, complaints against a few food safety officers for harassing small food business establishments and indulging in corrupt practices have already started surfacing.
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