To issue licence, FDA goes door-to-door

THANE: The Food and Drug Administration, Konkan Division, has started camps as well as door-to-door drives for on-the-spot registration and licencing to help traders enlist themselves under the standard Food Safety Act by February 4. As per the government directives, the traders will be penalised if they do not get themselves registered before the deadline.

The state has directed all traders and shops dealing in food items to register themselves under the act by February 4. This will also be applicable for shops that require food license. Failure to procure registration number and license will result in fines and penalty.

The FDA has launched the registration and licensing drive with the support of NGOs, various trading associations and volunteers to reach out to more traders to achieve its target before February 4.

The camps are being held with the help of representatives of trading wings and volunteers under the supervision of food officers and FDA assistant commissioners. However, lack of manpower and machinery delayed the process and left many unregistered.

With this fresh initiative shop owners are given faster mode of registration and obtain of license at their doorstep.

While most traders are happy with the initiative, it has not gone down well with a few who raised their voices for being charged extra.

"We charge Rs 100 per year for registration and Rs 2,000 for licence on a yearly basis. For five years registration, one has to shell out Rs 500, and Rs 1,000 for licence for the same period for which we issue receiptsto the tune of Rs 10, 000 for which FDA issues receipts. We don't charge anything additionalWe tend to provide registration and license at the doorstep which is why the camps are being held," said S K Shere, joint commissioner of FDA, Konkan Division.

"I was asked to shell out Rs 50 extra for which no receipt was issued.

I paid Rs 500 for five-year term registration fees and Rs 300 for tatkal charges as I participated in the camp. I got the receipts for Rs 800 but didn't get the receipt for Rs 50. This is unfair. In the name of tatkal you can't fool people," said a vendor.

But others were happy to have the licence and registration certificate on the spotwithout running from pillar to post along the FDA corridor. "We are glad that we could procure spot certifications. Money is not an issuesince the volunteers are putting in a lot of effort to get the work done," said Manish Chhada, a businessman.

Clearing the air about extra charge, Pradip Raut, assistant commissioner, FDA, said, "The NGO and volunteers charge Rs 300 for the processing of documentation like filling forms, xerox and issuance of certificates, licences and loading the data online. The volunteers charge Rs 50 extra for doing all thisfor collecting the files, forms and documents from applicant's shop at their own risk and delivering the certificates and licences."