PUNE: Eleven days after six workers suffocated to death in a bakery fire in Kondhwa, a drive conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed that a large number of bakeries were illegally conducting business without obtaining necessary permissions.
The situation has compelled the FDA to issue notices to 80 bakeries in Pune directing them to obtain food and safety and other licences from the authorities within 15 days or face action.
Six workers had suffocated to death in a fire at 'bake N cake' shop on Kondhwa-Saswad Road on December 30 because its shutters were locked from the outside and the workers were trapped inside. Three bakery partners were arrested on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under IPC section 304.
The Kondhwa police identified 35 bakeries involved in manufacturing and selling bakery products. The survey revealed that some bakeries had obtained the Shop Act licences while others were illegally conducting business without seeking permission from authorities.
A meeting was held recently to sensitise bakery owners and take preventive measures to avert more such tragedies. It was attended by central fire brigade, FDA, shop act licence and labour commissionerate officials.
Senior inspector Satish Govekar, in charge of Kondhwa police station, said the initiative was to educate bakery owners to run their businesses legally, prevent workers from sleeping inside locked premises, maintain a record of workers with their names, addresses, photographs, cellphone numbers and adopt safety measures to prevent fires.
Sunil Gilbile, deputy chief fire officer, advised bakery owners to obtain a no-objection certificate every year. The NOC will be issued after inspecting the bakery, electric wiring, ventilation, chimney, mezzanine, entry and exit, and verifying the documents submitted by the owners and providing training to workers on how to use fire apparatus in case of a fire or an emergency, he said.
Food and safety inspector Vijay Unawane said most bakeries running on the basis of the Shop Act licence, but they also need to obtain the food and safety licence if they manufacture and sell bakery products.
He appealed to owners to maintain cleanliness and encouraged them to apply online for licences so that there are no middleman or agents misleading them. "We have issued notices to 12 bakeries for illegally conducting business in Kondhwa. The notice directs them to obtain food and safety licence within 15 days or else they will face action — six months' simple imprisonment or a fine of Rs 5 lakh," he added.
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