Registration of devotees mandatory before distributing 'annadhanam'

TRICHY: Apart from deciding on what needs to be served to people as part of annadhanam (a sacred offering of food) during the Vaikunta Ekadesi, which falls on January 11, 2014, the devotees must also be careful about food quality, as the food safety department officials will be at your door step to check the quality of the food served.

The food safety wing of Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has made it mandatory for devotees to register if they wished to participate in the annadhanam. The certification is needed if devotees intended to distribute their offerings.

As far as Trichy is concerned, Vaikunta Ekadeshi (the opening of heavenly gate) at Sri Ranganathasamy temple is a festival that attracts people from neighbouring districts too. During the fest, numerous food stalls will be put up to provide food for the devotees.

Though the new rule has taken people by surprise, many have welcomed the initiative as it is ensures that the quality of food served is not compromised. "Until the previous year, there were no restrictions on the food served by the devotees. But, this year, the district administration has planned to take some serious measures in order to ensure that the food served is hygienic. The reason, they say, is to prevent any outbreak of disease due to food contamination," said a devotee, who has been attending the festival for the past many years.

Hence, the food safety wing has asked devotees to register by paying a fee of Rs 100 at their department near Jamal Mohammed College in Trichy. Following the registration, food safety officers (FSO) will conduct a quality-check up of the ingredients, water etc before the food is prepared. A go-ahead certificate will be issued, if the quality is found to be satisfactory. Talking to TOI about the status of the registration, Dr A Ramakrishnan, the designated officer of Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration department, Trichy, said, "We have received a few applications seeking permission for annadhanam. With 10 more days left for the festival, we are expecting more people come forward and register as it has been made mandatory."

He further specified that even the road-side tea shops, eateries and hotels must also get permission ahead of the festival. "Applications will be accepted till 10 January," he said.

Food Safety and Standards Act

The Regulation 2.2.1 of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, prescribe conformity with the IS standards for packaging materials including tin for storing of food product products intended for sale in the Country. These IS standards are notified by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). 

The implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules, Regulations made there under rest with State/UTs Governments. Random Samples of food items are drawn by the State Food Safety Officers and sent to the laboratories recognized by FSSAI for analysis. In case where samples are found to be not conforming to the provisions of the Act and the Rules and Regulations made there under, penal action is taken against the offender. 

Specific data of violations of regulations relating to packaging material, is not maintained centrally. 

Harmonization of the national standards for packaging material with those of international standards, by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), is a continuous process.

LSG deals a fatal blow to corporation's modern abattoir plan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even if foot and moth disease (FMD) threat is negated, the city folk will have to consume meat at their own risk. Exactly a year after the health wing of the city corporation submitted a proposal to modernize its slaughterhouse at Kunnukuzhy, the project has been dropped after the local self government department communicated that it could provide only Rs 50 lakh when the entire project cost is Rs 2.5 crore.

The health standing committee meeting held on Friday decided not to proceed with the project anymore citing that the finance standing committee would raise objections regarding disbursal of rest of the amount from own fund. "We can't go ahead with the project considering the directive from LSG. We were looking forward to meeting the entire expense with the funds from the government. The communication that only Rs 50 lakh will be allowed was never expected," said S Pushpalatha, chairperson, health standing committee.

The civic body has also not prepared another project proposal which needs to be submitted to the ministry of food processing to avail funds for setting up modern slaughterhouses. Also the ruling council has decided to press for Rs 15-crore project proposal mooted by food safety commissioner Biju Prabhakar. However, funds required for this project will be allotted only in the next financial year.

What this means is that the city will be practically left with no standardized slaughterhouse to ensure hygienic supply of meat for at least next two years. The civic body had recently clamped down on the illegal slaughtering thriving at Kunchalumoodu and areas around Nemom. With no measures to be implemented during the New Year to check the practice, illegal slaughtering is expected to gain strength posing serious health hazards to the city residents who consume meat.

The decision to drop the plan to modernise the slaughterhouse has raised questions about the proposal to train butchers as per the recommendations to train expert committee. About 50 butchers have been chosen for training at Peroorkada and Kudapanakkunnu. "What are the butchers supposed to do after the training? There is not going to be any slaughterhouse in the city for the next two years. The training of butchers will now be a farce and wastage of funds," a corporation official said.

As per the plan, the corporation had drawn a project proposal to modernise the slaughter house and set up a rendering plant. The rendering plant, with a capacity to treat four tonnes of waste a day, was to be set up at a cost of Rs 2 crore, and was to function on a build, operate and transfer basis. The pollution control board has also denied sanction for slaughtering small animals at Kunnukuzhy citing lack of a biogas plant to treat the waste.

SLAUGHTERED PROPOSAL

Corporation submitted a proposal to modernize its slaughterhouse at Kunnukuzhy at a cost of Rs 2.5 cr

Local self govt department says it could provide only Rs 50 lakh

The civic body has also not prepared another project proposal to be submitted to the ministry of food processing to avail funds for setting up modern slaughterhouses

Pollution control board denies sanction for slaughter of small animals citing lack of biogas plant

Health standing committee meeting held on Friday decided not to proceed with the project