Indore: Food grain traders to launch statewide protest tomorrow

Indore: Opposing their inclusion in the Food Safety and Security Act, the food grain traders have announced to launch a series of statewide protest from January 14.

The MP Anaj Evam Dalhan Vyapari Sangh convened a meeting of around 500 food grain traders on Sunday.

Association president Gopaldas Agrawal told said that the act will come into effect in February and under the provisions, the farmers are exempted from penal provisions in case food grains carry impurities but the traders are liable for the same in case of raids or surprise inspections.

Agrawal said that food grain traders simply buy the food grain and mostly the products carry soil, insects etc in raw form. 

We don’t sell it to the consumers, we only sell the product to processors, so how come we should be penalised under the act.

In the meeting it was decided to meet MLAs across the state on January 14 for briefing them about the issue. 

Besides, the district heads would hold press conferences on January 16 in their respective districts. 

The traders would submit memorandums to their district collectors on January 18 while effigies of the act would be set ablaze across the state on January 20, Agrawal affirmed. 

He demanded that the Centre should keep the food grain traders out of the ambit of this act. 

The food grain supplies might be affected if the traders persist with their stir and start buying food grain by assessing the quality of the product, which could fulfill the criteria set by the act.

With no checks in place, this surely is a beefy biz

Kochi: After the state government lifted the ban on the sale of beef imposed after the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, hotels in the district have resumed serving beef dishes.

The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA), Ernakulam district committee has announced that hotel owners will ensure the quality and safety of meat they serve. However, in the absence of a strict monitoring system to check abattoirs, meat shops and illegal wayside vendors, the quality of meat can't be ensured and the public has to be careful, warn veterinary and health experts.

Though the state government has partially lifted the restriction on transporting of animals from other places, the corporation has not yet restarted its abattoir at Kaloor. “We are yet to get any instruction from the government on resuming slaughtering of cattle,” said corporation health committee chairman T.K. Ashraf.

Normally, around 150 cattle are slaughtered at the Kaloor abattoir every day. This is the only abattoir in the city with a licence from the corporation. The number will go up to nearly 600 during the festival season.

As unauthorised slaughtering is rampant in many parts of the city, especially in Mattancherry and Cheranalloor, restaurant owners won't be able to ensure the quality of the meat they serve.

But KHRA district president M.P. Shiju said that hotel owners will buy meat from shops licensed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. “If the earlier system of sealing the meat after a veterinarian's certification is made mandatory, people will be able to ensure quality of meat.

Though several illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops are operating without any inspection and medical examination of animals, hotel owners have been strictly warned not to buy meat from them," said the KHRA district president.

Meanwhile, Ashraf of the corporation's health committee said that no case of foot-and-mouth disease affected cattle has been reported in the slaughterhouses functioning in the city. 

அன்னதானம் வழங்க உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலரிடம் தகுதிச் சான்று பெற வேண்டும் கலெக்டர் தகவல்

கடலூர், ஜன.13-

வடலூரில் வரும் 17-ந் தேதி தைப்பூச விழா நடைபெறுகிறது.  இதுகுறித்து கடலூர் மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் கிர்லோஷ்குமார் வெளியிட்டுள்ள செய்திக்குறிப்பில் கூறியிருப்பதாவது:

தைப்பூச விழா அன்னதானம்

அன்னதானம் கொடுக்க விரும்பும் பக்தர்கள் அதற்கான உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலரிடம் உணவுக்கான தகுதிச் சான்று பெற்று, அன்னதானம் வழங்க காவல் துறையில் பதிவு செய்து, அதற்காக அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட இடத்தில் மட்டுமே அன்னதானம் வழங்க வேண்டும். அனுமதிக்கப்படாத இடத்திலோ அல்லது உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரியால் தகுதிச் சான்று பெறாத உணவுப்பொருளையோ அன்னதானம் செய்தால் அவர்கள் மீது கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும். மேலும் அன்னதானம் வழங்க தொடர்பு கொள்ள வேண்டிய தொலைபேசி எண் 94434 34024. மேலும் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட இடங்களில் மட்டுமே நடைபாதை கடைகள் மற்றும் தள்ளுவண்டி கடைகள் வைக்க வேண்டும். மீறுபவர்கள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும். இவ்வாறு மேற்கண்ட செய்திக் குறிப்பில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Gutkha is now ‘legal’ in Andhra Pradesh

Little interest shown on implementing/extending its ban 

Consumption of gutkha is now legal in State. Not just that, even manufacturing and distribution of this chewable tobacco product does not amount to any kind of violation, thanks to the State government’s reluctance in extending a ban on these products.

As per a Government Order issued by the Chief Secretary, the usage or distribution of gutkha was prohibited in the State with effect from January 10, 2013 till a period of one year under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. However, there seems to be no move to extend it. 

“This is a grave issue concerning public health as gutkha and its related products are known to cause cancer and other serious ailments. Gutkha is banned in 23 States in the country, but our State government is taking its own time to extend the ban or implement it,” said former I.F.S. officer and secretary of Forum for Good Governance, M. Padmanabha Reddy. He has written to the Chief Secretary demanding that the ban be extended. Mr. Reddy, who procured information under RTI relating to the implementation of the ban, criticised the administration for being indifferent to the issue.

State issues guidelines for food safety in govt hostels

City has over 20 such hostels, run by Social Justice Department 

The State government has issued an order regarding food safety standards while preparing and serving the food in all hostels and residential schools across the state, run by the State’s Social Justice department. Pune has over 20 such hostels.

The directive was issued by the Social Justice and Special Aide Department on January 7 under the Central Government’s Food Safety Rule.

The Government Resolution (GR) mentions, “All hostel head should check safety standards as mentioned in the order and submit a report to their respective department heads. Department heads should conduct frequent meetings and review the situation.”

The GR also mentions certain sanitary and hygienic requirements to which food business operators should conform. ‘Premises on which food is prepared should have an overall hygienic environment. All new units should be set up well away from environmentally polluted areas. 

There should be adequate space for manufacturing and storage, enough lighting and ventilation, with no flaking paint or plaster,’ the GR says.

‘Floors, ceilings and walls must be maintained — they should be smooth and clean,’ the GR adds.

Besides this, the government also has guidelines on the food preparation area, hand-washing facilities, toilets, personal hygiene, transportation and handling of food, raw materials, cross contamination, stock rotation, thawing of frozen products and others.

Rakesh Vitkar, in-charge of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)-run Dr Babasheb Ambedkar student hostel claimed, “We have a capacity of 400 students. 

We are already maintaining hygiene while preparing and serving food. However, we will go through the government order and see if anything is lacking. We welcome this move by the government. It will help to guide hostels on maintaining better hygiene.”

►►► We have a capacity of 400 students. We are already maintaining hygiene while preparing and serving food

- Rakesh Vitkar, in-charge at PMC-run Dr Baba Ambedkar hostel

DINAMALAR NEWS

Food Safety Act

The last date for getting license/ registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act is February 4. All food business operators should legalize their food business before February 4, informed Food Standards Enforcement officials.

FDA launches spot registration drive for food stalls, eateries

NASHIK: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nashik division, has started conducting spot registrations of hotels and eateries. Any business found unregistered or without a license after January 16, Thursday, will face punitive action, said officials. The spot registration drive started on Saturday. 

Joint commissioner (food) of the FDA's Nashik division told TOI, "Our goal is to get all food related businesses across the division registered and licenced. Some of the paan and tea stalls, and food caterers have not responded to our call. We have formed special teams in each district that will visit spots to register business. There will also be units at our district offices in the division where the registration and licencing can be done. After Thursday, the owners of unregistered businesses or those without will face six months in jail and will be fined Rs 5 lakh." 

As per the new Food Safety and Standards Act which came into effect from August 5, 2011, a licence is compulsory for business with an annual turnover of over Rs 12 lakh. Business with a turnover less than Rs 12 lakh are required to get a yearly registration for Rs 100 a year, while the annual licence fee is Rs 2,000. 

Food business like paan stalls, fruit or vegetable vendors, handcarts with food items being sold, grocery shops, bakeries, food packaging units, caterers, inns, dhabas, tea stalls, onion-potato traders, meat shops have been included under the act from August 5, 2011. Many of these stalls were not registered in the last registration drive. 

The FDA's Nashik division oversees five districts - Nashik, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Nandurbar and Jalgaon. Till date, around 35,561 businesses have been registered in Nashik division, including 8,346 in Nashik district, 5,193 in Dhule district (which also Nandurbar district), 7,425 in Jalgaon and 14,597 in Ahmednagar districts. Licenses have been issued to 16,137 businesses, including 7,331 units in Nashik, 2,866 in Dhule, 2,409 in Jalgaon and 3,531 in Ahmednagar districts.

High Court Ban on Plastic Packaging Traders seek legal recourse in SC

Una, January 12

Traders of the state, under the banner of Himachal Pradesh Beopar Mandal, yesterday decided to move the apex court against the Himachal Pradesh High Court's decision to ban 25 junk food items sold in plastic packaging in the state from January 26 this year. 

The High Court has also directed the government to ensure that from March 31, foodstuff, including primary and essential food manufactured, transported, sold, packaged and distributed in the state, conforms to the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulation of 2011.

The traders have been perturbed as most of the fast-moving packaged edible products of branded and unbranded types come in plastic packing. In view of the orders, such material will not be allowed to enter the state for sale.

The Beopar Mandal today authorised its working-president Sumesh Sharma to lead a delegation of traders to Delhi to meet legal experts. The other members include Inderjit Singh, president of the Shimla unit, Surinder Kumar, general secretary of Manali unit, and Rajinder Sood, member of the Wholesalers' Alliance from Una.

Speaking over telephone, president of the state Beopar Mandal, Madan Lal Khurana said the delegation had left for Delhi today and would take legal advice on January 12. He said the manufacturers were not willing to change the packaging for a small percentage of the clientele in the state, which meant these items would not be on the shelves for sale after January 26.

Khurana said these orders would not only bring financial setback to the traders, but would also affect the consumers.

Expressing hope that the Supreme Court would give relief to the traders of the hill state, he said if need be, their cadre would not hesitate to take to the streets against the orders. He said while the party in power should clarify its stand, even those in the Opposition should speak their minds on the issue.

Traders want food grain out of APMC Act ambit

PUNE: Traders' unions on Sunday demanded exclusion of food grain like wheat, rice, jowar and cereals from the ambit of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act. Traders also sought the adoption of a single-point mechanism to charge cess on commodities in place of the current multiple cess system.

The demands were raised at a state-level meeting of traders conducted at the Poona Merchants' Chamber called to discuss various issues faced by traders. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Walchand Sancheti, president of the Poona Merchants' Chamber, said, "Prices of commodities go up owing to multiple cess system. When other states have already adopted a single-point cess system to restrict double taxation, the state government is persisting with the old system. The government has continued with multiple cess mechanism which is neither beneficial to the farmer nor to the consumer."

Sancheti said the government has already initiated steps to decontrol fruits and vegetables. "We want the government to exclude food grain from the APMC Act. Processed commodities such as rice, edible oil, powders, sugar, tea, flour, besan and dry fruits should be excluded," he said. He added that the traders will soon discuss the memorandum of demands with the government.

Vice-president of the Poona Merchants' Chamber, Praveen Chorbele, said that more than 125 traders from the state had participated in the meeting. He said, "Besides exclusion of food grain from the APMC Act, we will urge the government to introduce some changes in the Food Safety and Standards Act. We want the government to impose a reasonable fine under various provisions."

Meanwhile, traders have demanded abolition of the Local Body Tax (LBT). Chorbele said there has been considerable increase in the VAT. There is no need to impose LBT on commodities if the government has registered significant growth in VAT collection.

We will also urge the government to introduce some changes in the Food Safety and Standards Act. We want the government to impose a reasonable fine under various provisions