INDORE: Food Safety Standards Act 2006, implemented by the state government on August 5 last year, has left the city traders perplexed. The traders of food items in the city have termed the Act of Central government as draconian, as they feel it is against the interests of the small traders.
The Act is likely to leave small traders jobless and help MNCs spread their wings, they allege. Considering all these factors, a number of traders' associations in the city are staging an indefinite dharna against the Act on March 27 at Sanjay Setu. A meeting of traders will be held in this connection on March 25.
The protest launched by MP Food Products & Producers' Association is likely to see participation from MP Dal Mill Association (Indore), Association of Pulses Industry, Mithai Association, Namkeen Association, MP Spices Manufacturing Traders' Association and Wholesale Retail Traders' Association.
Suresh Agrawal, president, MP Dal Mill Association (Indore), told ToI, "The new law has made it mandatory for the small traders to get a fitness certificate from a practising doctor for running their business. Also, it has the provision of appointing a BSC graduate as technical advisor who will monitor the quality of food being manufactured by the trader. But these are all impractical guidelines". "Traders are finding the rules impossible to follow. Hence we are opposing the Act," said another trader Ramesh Khandelwal.
When contacted, food & safety officer Manish Kumar Swamy said, "The Act is meant to improve hygiene of the food materials as it becomes effective from the very stage of processing. The new law had replaced the old existing Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954."
The Act is likely to leave small traders jobless and help MNCs spread their wings, they allege. Considering all these factors, a number of traders' associations in the city are staging an indefinite dharna against the Act on March 27 at Sanjay Setu. A meeting of traders will be held in this connection on March 25.
The protest launched by MP Food Products & Producers' Association is likely to see participation from MP Dal Mill Association (Indore), Association of Pulses Industry, Mithai Association, Namkeen Association, MP Spices Manufacturing Traders' Association and Wholesale Retail Traders' Association.
Suresh Agrawal, president, MP Dal Mill Association (Indore), told ToI, "The new law has made it mandatory for the small traders to get a fitness certificate from a practising doctor for running their business. Also, it has the provision of appointing a BSC graduate as technical advisor who will monitor the quality of food being manufactured by the trader. But these are all impractical guidelines". "Traders are finding the rules impossible to follow. Hence we are opposing the Act," said another trader Ramesh Khandelwal.
When contacted, food & safety officer Manish Kumar Swamy said, "The Act is meant to improve hygiene of the food materials as it becomes effective from the very stage of processing. The new law had replaced the old existing Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954."
