Many hotels yet to apply for licence

Punitive action has been postponed by six months

Even as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has postponed by six months punitive action against shops that have not renewed their licence under the Food Safety Act, 2006, only a section of hotels in the district have applied for the licence.

A July 25 order by the Enforcement Director of the authority extended the August 4 deadline beyond which action should have been taken.

District Food Safety Officer A. Mohammed Rafi told The Hindu here on Monday that 4,318 hotels in the district had applied for the licence as on Monday. The local bodies had been the licensing authorities before the Act came into effect.

With various pieces of legislation, such as the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, and the Food Products Order, 1955, annulled, the entire responsibility of licensing has been assigned to the Commissioner for Food Safety. “The licensing work started in March. The number of hotels in the district is yet to be ascertained as the local bodies have not handed over the details related to the previous licensing regimes,” Mr. Rafi said.

Hotels with a turnover of over Rs. 12 lakh should apply for a licence and those with less than that needed registration. “Almost a month ago, I submitted an application for licence to the hotel owners’ association, who will apply on our behalf. But I am yet to hear from them,” Gireeshan A., a hotel owner at West Hill, said. The delinking of local bodies from activities related to food safety had reduced the number of personnel involved and added to the workload of the Food Safety Commissionerate, which is said to be understaffed. “There are only seven staff members to handle all the work related to food safety in Kozhikode district,” Mr. Rafi said.