Dec 23, 2012

32 food inspectors from civic bodies to join FDA

PUNE: As many as 32 of the 59 food inspectors working with municipal corporations and municipal councils have consented to join the state food and drugs department.

The move will add to the current strength of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and is expected to help consolidate efforts to conduct raids and seizures to check adulteration, prevent illegal sale of gutka and grant/renew registration/licences to food business operators on a continuous basis. Staff crunch has been one of the prominent issues plaguing the department for quite some time now.

"Of the 32 food inspectors who have consented to switch over to the FDA, five are from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and four from the Pune Municipal Corporation. These officials will be absorbed into the FDA, Pune," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.

Replacing the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and other seven rules/orders, the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and Rules and Regulations 2011 came into force across the country from August 5, 2011. In view of the staff crunch vis-a-vis implementation of the new act, the state's urban development department recently extended in-principle sanction to shift food officials with civic bodies who are ready to join the FDA.

"The process to get the 32 officials merged with the respective FDA offices is currently on. Most have started carrying out the responsibilities assigned to them by their department heads from the FDA," said Shivaji Desai, assistant commissioner (food), FDA.

The 32 officials will be upgraded as grade B officials from their current grade C service rank. "But like all state officials, they will have to be ready for transfers," Kekare said.

The FDA Pune currently has 14 food safety officials (FSO) to oversee the food safety and standards related work in the district. The strength now will go up to 23. "Absorption of nine officials will strengthen our force and help us carry out routine work like taking food samples and carrying out inspections, granting or renewing licences of food business operators and keeping watch on sale of gutka," Desai said.

The implementation of food safety norms are set to get tougher in the district from this month onwards. A district level advisory committee has been formed under the district collector to assist the FDA officials in effective implementation of the norms.

The committee will meet once every month to evaluate glitches and churn out solution to ensure 100% implementation of the food safety norms as envisioned in the act.

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