COIMBATORE: Temples providing Annadhaanams to devotees will soon come under the gambit of the safety and quality norms prescribed by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
The move is to ensure that proper hygiene is maintained while preparing and serving food to devotees at these religious centres. A high level meeting was also convened here in the city on June 1 which was attended by officials from Hindu Charity and Religious Endowments( HR&CE) department and the designate officer for the FSSAI. The temples will have to get registered with the FSSAI as per the norms of section 31 of the FSSAI Act.
"We have already written to Executive Officers of all these temples regarding the issue. We will be able to monitor the mass food distribution ceremonies at the temples, once they register with us," said Dr R Kathiravan, designate officer, FSSAI, Coimbatore.
As per section 31, any commercial or charitable organisation indulging in food distribution and sale with an annual turnover of over Rs 12 lakh (commercial ones) both governmental and non governmental should obtain a license from FSSAI while charitable institutions and commercial food stalls with less than Rs 12 lakh turnover should obtain a registration to bring them under the purview of the food safety and standard norms. The deadline extended to the HR&CE to obtain registration is August 14, 2012.
"We have been informed about the registration norms but are yet to officially receive it in writing. But we have already passed on the message to the temples under us and proper measures will be taken," said a senior HR& CE official.
At the moment there are 60 temples in the four western districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Tirupur and Nilgiri where Annadhaanam is conducted on a regular basis. Out of these 21 temples are in Coimbatore, 22 in Erode, 15 in Erode and two in Nilgiris district.
The state government has announced in the recent budget that food distribution will be extended to seven more temples in the region including two in Coimbatore and three in Tirupur districts. HR&CE officials also added that they will conduct periodic inspections of the temples through their own HR& CE inspectors and revenue officials. They also claimed that instructions have been given to the temples to ensure that the kitchen facility should be modernised and proper seating arrangements should be provided to devotees while serving food.
"We provide proper seating arrangements to the devotees and have a separate enclosure for conducting Annadhaanam in the temple complex. About 150 people come here to have food everyday from 11.30 am to 12.30 am," said an official at a popular temple in Sidha Pudhur in the city.
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