Pune: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s recent report rapped the state women and child development (WCD) department for “gross violation of terms and conditions” in engaging a food vendor.
The report said a private vendor from Pune, whose licence was cancelled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), supplied 20.2 lakh packets of biscuits to anganwadi workers under the WCD’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.
Per the report, the FDA has no mechanism to check whether food business operators (FBOs) with expired licences continue to operate.
As per Food Safety and Standard Regulations, any FBO with an expired licence must cease business activity until their apply for a fresh registration or licence.
In the Pune case, the report stated, the vendor continued to supply food under ICDS without a licence. The vendor in question is Govardhan Ayur Pharma Private Limited (GAPPL). The supply order was placed in February 2015. GAPPL’s licence was cancelled in January 2014.
On July 22, 2015, a food supply officer inspected the premises and collected food samples, which were declared sub-standard.
The ICDS department was told to recall the food from all anganwadis, but the biscuits had already distributed by then. The CAG recommended: “The government may create a database of FBOs which should be updated periodically ... (and) strengthen the enforcement structure.”
A case was lodged with Chief Judicial Magistrate, Pune, in November 2015.
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