Licence for Food Traders to be Made Mandatory in Sambalpur

A roadside vendor selling food items in Sambalpur on Monday

SAMBALPUR: To enhance accountability of those in food business in the wake of jaundice outbreak, Sambalpur Municipal Corporation is all set to make it mandatory for them to procure a licence under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, or face penalty. The move comes a day after complaints were filed against some roadside eateries for not following hygienic practices.

The Act is aimed at ensuring that street food vendors observe better standards of hygiene. Food vendors including roadside eateries, restaurants, hotels, food processors and meat selling outlets have to register themselves with the civic body and obtain licence.

Food Safety Officer of the Municipal Corporation Rudra Pratap Mandal said more than 1500 persons including around 350 roadside vendors are associated with food business. Only 700 of them have licence from the Municipal Corporation to run their business. “Registration and licensing of the food vendors and businessmen would help us monitor the food quality. Besides, it will create a database of businessmen dealing with food materials,” Mandal added. The civic body would soon announce the deadline for the food businessmen to obtain licence.

The registration for one year will cost vendors Rs 100. The licence is, however, expected to range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 7,500 depending on the business turnover. Once the date is notified, anyone found defaulting will have to either close down the business or pay heavy penalties ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 5 lakh depending on the gravity of the offence.