With the state government bringing liquor vends under the purview of the Food Safety and Standards Act, the Health Department is all set to register these. As the deadline for registration under the Act ends on February 4, the owners have been asked to apply at the earliest.
District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said the Food and Drug Commissioner had earlier written a letter to the Excise and Taxation Department and had conveyed the development to it. He said all liquor shops with an annual turnover of over Rs 12 lakh were required to obtain a licence while those with a less turnover were required to get registered.
He said around 650 food businesses in the city had so far obtained the licence. Kahlon said as the deadline for registration or getting the licence under the Act ended on February 4, the food businesses must hurry.
Failure to register or obtain the licence would result in six months of imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh, said Kahlon, adding that all unregistered food businesses would be considered as illegal after the process for registration was complete on February 4.
Dr Kahlon said the liquor contractors would have to file a separate application for each of the vends operated by them.
The registration is mandatory for all food businesses involved at any stage of processing, manufacturing, catering or transportation. Kahlon said even karyana shops selling ingredients and chemist shops were required to register or obtain licence according to their annual turnover.
Kahlon said as there were only few days left of the allotted time, the department was keen on registering more and more businesses. “The deadline for this had already been extended three times on separate occasions. And it is learnt that it will not be extended this time, so it is advisable that people must follow the instructions,” he said.
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