Jun 1, 2018
Police tighten probe against govt officials in gutka unit case
Coimbatore: The rural police have intensified their inquiry against the former executive officer (EO) of Kannampalayam town panchayat and an officer from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Coimbatore, in connection with the illegal gutka manufacturing unit case.
According to police sources, the state government banned sales and manufacturing of gutkha products in 2012.
In 2013, FSSAI officials raided a few shops in Tirupur and found gutka. Immediately, the officials registered a case and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on the illegal gutkha unit manager Raghuram and owner Amit Singh of New Delhi. While Raghuram had paid the fine amount, Amit Singh is yet to pay the amount. The case is still pending before the FSSAI.
The Coimbatore rural police are currently reinvestigating the case. Police said Raghuram had given fake address to the officials then.
The FSSAI officials had failed to collect full details about Raghuram and Amit Singh. So, the duo continued to operate the unit and manufacture gutka. They had even obtained license from FSSAI to make pan masala.
A few officials from FSSAI, Coimbatore, had visited the illegal gutka manufacturing unit at Kannampalayam since 2013. But they had failed to find out the gutkha manufacturing unit. Now, the police have started investigation against the officials,” said a police source.
“We have asked the Kannampalayam town panchayat officials to submit the resolution details to us. If officials are involved in the case, then they will also be arrested,” said a police officer.
On April 27, a police team raided the illegal gutka manufacturing unit at Kannampalayam and seized 3.24 lakh sachets of gutka, pan masala and raw materials from the unit. Police arrested Raghuram and three migrant labourers in connection with the case.
Later, former president of Kannampalayam town panchayat Thalapathi Murugesan was also arrested by the police.
At present the sale of gutkha is a bailable offence with a punishment of maximum six months in prison
In one of the major drives in recent times, officers of the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) recently raided and sealed nearly 81 paan beedi shops in Mumbai and seized banned gutkha and other scented tobacco products worth Rs 15 lakh.
In the raid conducted on May 24 and 25, by 18 specially formed squads, the action was taken against 89 vendors and notices were served on them. Now they will have to approach the court to reopen their shops, Joint Commissioner Shailesh Adhav told The Afternoon DC and added that similar drives will be carried out in other parts of the state too. The sealed shops include those located at Null Bazar, Dongri, Dharavi, Saki Naka, Chembur and Kurla. In the raid, an illegal factory at Null Bazar, engaged in manufacture of tobacco products clandestinely was also sealed.
“In view of the sensitive nature, the drive was carried out with assistance from the Joint Police Commissioner (EOW) Ashutosh Dumbre and DCP Parag Manere, Adhav said and added that during the raid they faced resistance of 100 to 200 persons at every shop, especially in the areas like Null Bazar and Kurla. Since 2012, FDA has seized gutkha worth Rs 114.2 crore. At present the sale of gutkha is a bailable offence with a punishment of maximum six months in prison. In last budget session, FDA minister Girish Bapat had told the state legislature that the sale of gutkha will be made a non-bailable offence.
Maharashtra is on top ranking in consumption of paan masala and 43 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women consume the gutkha and tobacco products. The state earns nearly Rs 100 crore tax revenue, solely from gutkha and paan masala products with industry doing more than Rs 300 crore business. Mumbai too contributes a larger share of that amount. While a debate about tobacco consumption leading to cancer continues, the World Health Organization (WHO) had classified areca or betel nut as carcinogenic to humans even without the addition of tobacco to it, in 2004. Maharashtra government had issued notification banning the gutkha on May 20, 2008. However in response to a petition filed by some tobacco product manufacturers, the court had stayed the ban. After concerted litigation, on September 16, 2012, the Bombay High Court upheld the ban on gutkha and paan masala.
In the same year (2012), the state government banned the Gutkha under the Food Standards and Safety Act, 2006. In the following year, the state banned khaini (flavoured tobacco), supari (processed betel nut) and mawa or kharra (a mix of processed tobacco, betel nut and lime). In 2014, the state government issued fresh notification banning the gutka and extended it for one more year, from July 20, 2015 onwards.
Food safety officials raid shops, seize 10 kg of gutkha
Keeping the heat: I. Dhanaraju, Food Safety Officer, raided a petty shop selling tobacco and food products, on ‘World No Tobacco Day,’ in Puducherry on Thursday.
World No-Tobacco Day observed in Puducherry
On the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day, a team from the Food Safety department raided 50 shops across the city.
The team led by I. Dhanraju, Food Safety officer, seized 10 kg of gutkha and 100 kg of expired food products from a petty shop in Rangapillai Street.
Raids were conducted in shops on Anna Salai, Bussy Street, Kamaraj Salai, Lenin Street, MG Road and Rangapillai Street.
Fine up to a lakh
Mr. Dhanraju said the shopkeepers should refrain from selling banned tobacco products and out-of-date commodities.
They could face fines up to ₹1 lakh on seizure of such items, he added.
Consumers can lodge a complaint against the shopkeepers selling banned and expired products.
The government has also spread awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco.
“The public should cooperate with us and stop using banned products,” he said.
Canteens in govt offices told to get FSSAI licence
NEW DELHI, MAY 31
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has urged all Ministries and Central government offices to ensure that departmental canteens and cafeterias have a licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This is being done to ensure that safe and nutritious food is served in these canteens and cafeterias.
It has also asked all the Ministries and Central government departments to nominate food safety supervisors, who will undergo a training workshop organised by FSSAI from June 16. As per estimates, more than 1,000 canteens and cafeterias are run in Central government office premises.
FSSAI advisory
This move comes after the FSSAI issued an advisory in April, asking all food business operators that run canteens and cafeterias in Central government offices and educational institutions to get the mandatory licence or registration.
As per regulations, all food businesses which have Central or State licences, must have at least one trained food safety supervisor for every 25 food handlers in each premise. In addition, these food safety advisors have to undergo training and certification by December 31 under the Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTac) imitative.
In its circular sent to all the Ministries and Central Government offices, the DoPT said the first phase of training workshop for food safety supervisors will begin on June 16. “All the Ministries/departments are requested to nominate individuals to FSSAI for the said training of food safety supervisors and ensure active participation in the same,” it added.
Earlier this month, the FSSAI launched a nationwide campaign for safe and nutritious food at workplace called SNF@Workplace.
FSSAI Updates Safety Regulations For Water Sold Through Vending Machines
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has brought about a new amendment to ensure safety of water sold through vending machines reports F&B News. Earlier the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 did not include water sold by these machines under the safety standards.
WATER SAFETY AMENDMENT
“It has become a necessity to regulate these operations, so as to ensure the safety and quality of water obtained from water vending machines and consumed by the public,” said a statement by the food regulator as quoted by the publication. The same parameters applicable to the packaged drinking water will be applied to the machine water as well but the latter is exempted from having a certification mark which is issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Further says that a clause in the sub regulation had stated that, “Packaged drinking water offered or sold through water vending machines shall be clear without any sediments, suspended particles and extraneous matter.” This clause in Sub-regulation 2.10.8 of Regulation 2.10 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 has been changed to, “Packaged drinking water and drinking water offered or sold through water vending machines shall be clear without any sediments, suspended particles and extraneous matter.”
Meanwhile, Clause 17 of the Regulation 2.3 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 has been substituted by, “No person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale packaged drinking water except under the BIS Certification Mark. Provided that the requirement of the BIS Certification Mark shall not apply on the drinking water offered or sold through water vending machines.”
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