‘Food Safety Act will affect livelihood of small traders’

Odisha Byabasayee Mahasangh, the organisation of traders in the State alleged that the norms of Food Safety and Standards Act if implemented would lead to drastic affect on livelihood of small traders.

Leaders of the traders’ Mahasangh such as its general secretary Sudhakar Panda and its working president C. Rabindranath, who were present during the 46th annual general meeting of Ganjam Chamber of Commerce held in the city on Sunday said the norms of the Food Safety and Standards Act seemed to be aimed at promoting large business houses and multi-national companies involved in retail trading in the country. Mr. Panda and Mr. Rabindranath as well as members of Ganjam Chamber of the Commerce were of the opinion that if implemented this Act would give rise to corruption as it favours the MNCs involved in retail business. As per the Odisha Byabasayee Mahasangh, there are around six lakh retail traders in Odisha who would be affected by this Act, which may lead to monopoly of MNCs and large trading houses involved in retail business. They said most small time traders were not in a position to get all their products tested.