NEW DELHI: To enhance accountability for those in food business,
Delhi government is all set to make it mandatory for them to seek
registration, procure a licence from the department or face penalty.
According to the proposed policy, any food vendor, inclusive of roadside eateries, restaurants, hotels and food processors, with a turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh a year has to register themselves with the government. Those with larger turnover will have to obtain licence from the government.
A one-year registration will cost vendors Rs100. The licence, however, is expected to range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 7,500. The government said that the act aimed at ensuring that street food vendors observe better standards of hygiene.
Once the policy is notified, anyone found defaulting will have to either close down the business or shell out heavy penalties ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 10 lakh depending upon the gravity of the offence.
Sources said that Delhi government premium body DSIIDC will oversee the process of granting licence and registering the vendors under the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006. The proposed policy is expected to placed before the Delhi cabinet in the coming week.
The decision to go ahead with the plan was taken in a review meeting headed by health minister AK Walia on Monday. Sources said that the process of granting licence and registering the vendors will start within two months' time. Food safety licence is in addition to all existing licensing requirements from different government agencies.
"We have short-listed a government agency which will be in charge of the entire process. We are hoping to start it soon. A place has also been identified where the office will be set for the agency but we will first take an approval from the cabinet," Walia told TOI.
Government sources said that the state government has already missed the last deadline of registering and issuing licences to the street vendors. The deadline has been revised to February 2014 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India which was set up in 2008.
According to the proposed policy, any food vendor, inclusive of roadside eateries, restaurants, hotels and food processors, with a turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh a year has to register themselves with the government. Those with larger turnover will have to obtain licence from the government.
A one-year registration will cost vendors Rs100. The licence, however, is expected to range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 7,500. The government said that the act aimed at ensuring that street food vendors observe better standards of hygiene.
Once the policy is notified, anyone found defaulting will have to either close down the business or shell out heavy penalties ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 10 lakh depending upon the gravity of the offence.
Sources said that Delhi government premium body DSIIDC will oversee the process of granting licence and registering the vendors under the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006. The proposed policy is expected to placed before the Delhi cabinet in the coming week.
The decision to go ahead with the plan was taken in a review meeting headed by health minister AK Walia on Monday. Sources said that the process of granting licence and registering the vendors will start within two months' time. Food safety licence is in addition to all existing licensing requirements from different government agencies.
"We have short-listed a government agency which will be in charge of the entire process. We are hoping to start it soon. A place has also been identified where the office will be set for the agency but we will first take an approval from the cabinet," Walia told TOI.
Government sources said that the state government has already missed the last deadline of registering and issuing licences to the street vendors. The deadline has been revised to February 2014 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India which was set up in 2008.
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