Jalandhar, July 10
Even as Jalandhar is a hub of foodies, with a multitude of dhabas and eateries, the task of getting them all licensed under the requisite act is proving to be a daunting task for the health department.
Conservative health department estimates put the total number of eateries, food vends etc in the district at more than 20,000, but a mere 845 out of these have actually got themselves registered/licensed under the Food Standard and Safety Act (2006), so far.
The health department has issued only about 375 licenses and only about 470 eateries in the district are presently registered.
With the final deadline for getting themselves licensed being scheduled on August 4, 2012, the health department laments that despite spreading awareness, people are not turning up for registration.
The Food Standard and Safety Act (2006) has a huge number of proprietors under its ambit. It covers food vends, canteens, restaurants, milkmen, food retailers, wholesalers and even distributors and transporters in the food business.
The only trouble is that many of the proprietors themselves claim they are not aware about it.
A food vendor says, “None of the health department teams ever came to us informing us about these formalities. I wasn’t aware that I am supposed to get registered.”
A dhaba owner says, “I have got the licensing formalities from the municipal corporation completed. I wasn’t aware of the health department licensing regulations.”
While many vendors claimed that they were not aware of licensing, some said the system was designed to extract money out of them while no one was bothered about the law.
A city-based eatery owner said, “We are supposed to get ourselves licensed with the municipal corporation, the labour department and the health department. If we have to pay Rs 100, we are charged Rs 1,000. Money is extracted by creating scare that samples from eateries will be rejected. While the big guns pay money, the smaller vendors sometimes do not opt for licensing for fear of formalities and bribery. Handling one department is difficult and we are supposed to deal with three. If the departments did our work on time and did not charge extra money, all the eateries in Jalandhar would have been licensed by now.”
Civil Surgeon Dr RL Bassan says, “It is very important for all food proprietors/operators to get themselves registered/licensed before the due date. Licensing is a time-consuming procedure and if they do not start now, the procedure will get too late. Those not licensed by August 4, would be penalised with fine of Rs 5 lakh and/or imprisonment for six months.”
Commenting on allegations of bribery, the CS said, “Right now we are literally urging people to get themselves registered, the question of bribery doesn’t arise. But if anyone faces any such difficulty, they are free to bring the matter to my notice and strict action will be taken against the erring official.”
The Act
The vend owners were supposed to get themselves licensed since 1954 (as per the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954), but stats say very few had done so.
In 2006, the Food Standard and Safety Act repealed the 1954 Act and some of the regulations were changed.
As per the 2006 Act, eateries and food proprietors earning less than Rs 12 lakh per annum have to get registration done by submitting a form, two photographs and submitting a meagre fee of Rs 100 per annum.
Those earning more than Rs 12 lakh per annum have to get themselves licensed with a fee of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per annum (depending on the annual turnover). For licensing, the health authorities also carry out inspections at the eatery/vend premises and take food and water samples.
Restaurant owners, retailers, distributors, caterers with a turnover of more than Rs 20 crore per annum and wholesalers and transporters (with more than 100 vehicles/wagons for transporting food) with a turnover of more than Rs 30 crore per annum are supposed to get themselves licensed from the central government.
Even as Jalandhar is a hub of foodies, with a multitude of dhabas and eateries, the task of getting them all licensed under the requisite act is proving to be a daunting task for the health department.
Conservative health department estimates put the total number of eateries, food vends etc in the district at more than 20,000, but a mere 845 out of these have actually got themselves registered/licensed under the Food Standard and Safety Act (2006), so far.
The health department has issued only about 375 licenses and only about 470 eateries in the district are presently registered.
With the final deadline for getting themselves licensed being scheduled on August 4, 2012, the health department laments that despite spreading awareness, people are not turning up for registration.
The Food Standard and Safety Act (2006) has a huge number of proprietors under its ambit. It covers food vends, canteens, restaurants, milkmen, food retailers, wholesalers and even distributors and transporters in the food business.
The only trouble is that many of the proprietors themselves claim they are not aware about it.
A food vendor says, “None of the health department teams ever came to us informing us about these formalities. I wasn’t aware that I am supposed to get registered.”
A dhaba owner says, “I have got the licensing formalities from the municipal corporation completed. I wasn’t aware of the health department licensing regulations.”
While many vendors claimed that they were not aware of licensing, some said the system was designed to extract money out of them while no one was bothered about the law.
A city-based eatery owner said, “We are supposed to get ourselves licensed with the municipal corporation, the labour department and the health department. If we have to pay Rs 100, we are charged Rs 1,000. Money is extracted by creating scare that samples from eateries will be rejected. While the big guns pay money, the smaller vendors sometimes do not opt for licensing for fear of formalities and bribery. Handling one department is difficult and we are supposed to deal with three. If the departments did our work on time and did not charge extra money, all the eateries in Jalandhar would have been licensed by now.”
Civil Surgeon Dr RL Bassan says, “It is very important for all food proprietors/operators to get themselves registered/licensed before the due date. Licensing is a time-consuming procedure and if they do not start now, the procedure will get too late. Those not licensed by August 4, would be penalised with fine of Rs 5 lakh and/or imprisonment for six months.”
Commenting on allegations of bribery, the CS said, “Right now we are literally urging people to get themselves registered, the question of bribery doesn’t arise. But if anyone faces any such difficulty, they are free to bring the matter to my notice and strict action will be taken against the erring official.”
The Act
The vend owners were supposed to get themselves licensed since 1954 (as per the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954), but stats say very few had done so.
In 2006, the Food Standard and Safety Act repealed the 1954 Act and some of the regulations were changed.
As per the 2006 Act, eateries and food proprietors earning less than Rs 12 lakh per annum have to get registration done by submitting a form, two photographs and submitting a meagre fee of Rs 100 per annum.
Those earning more than Rs 12 lakh per annum have to get themselves licensed with a fee of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per annum (depending on the annual turnover). For licensing, the health authorities also carry out inspections at the eatery/vend premises and take food and water samples.
Restaurant owners, retailers, distributors, caterers with a turnover of more than Rs 20 crore per annum and wholesalers and transporters (with more than 100 vehicles/wagons for transporting food) with a turnover of more than Rs 30 crore per annum are supposed to get themselves licensed from the central government.
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