FDA suspends licenses of 33 fish traders

Traders fail to submit papers within stipulated time; Vijai, Vishwajit air opposing views in a tweet before matter is resolved

FDA ORDER 

>> The Registration Certificate granted under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, issued to the 33 FBOs (list enclosed) are revoked forthwith 

>> FBOs were issued a warning that they had not adhered to the October 15 deadline to furnish the municipality trade licenses to the FDA 

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DENIAL & ACCEPTANCE 

>> Vishwajit Rane initially denied any orders being issued to revoke the registration certificates 

>> He also tweeted that a final decision would be taken within two days, after examining the file 

>> He retracted his stand a few minutes later: "The FDA director has issued the order, so be it." 

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PANAJI: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Tuesday issued an order revoking registration certificates of 33 Food Business Operators (FBOs), all fish traders, as they failed to submit their municipality trade licenses within the October 17 deadline set by the Authority in the backdrop of the formalin-in-fish imbroglio. 

The order issued by FDA Director Jyoti Sardesai, however, triggered a brief row a day later on Wednesday with two cabinet ministers - Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai - took to social media to air diametrically opposing views on the issue. 

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday initially denied any orders revoking the registration certificates had been issued. 

"I will take a decision only after I see the file, which has not yet come to me," he told the Goan when contacted. 

He also tweeted that there is no revocation of 33 fish traders' licenses and a final decision will be taken within two days, after examining the file. 

But, Rane retracted his 'no revocation' stand a few minutes later when in an audio posted on the WhatsApp group 'FDA' created to facilitate communication between the media, he said: "The FDA director has issued the order, so be it." 

Vijai Sardessai meanwhile tweeted: " Technically this means fish imports from outside the State is stopped?....fish traders are accountable to strict regulations." 

It was perhaps Vijai Sardesai's tweet that influenced Rane to quickly retract. The latter subsequently claimed in the audio post on the 'FDA' whatsapp group that he had spoken to the FDA director as well as Vijai Sardesai, who told him to take "firm and stringent measures." 

"We cannot increase the timeline (given to the fish traders)," Rane said. 

Meanwhile, the order issued by FDA director states: "The Registration Certificate granted under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, issued to the 33 FBOs (list enclosed) are revoked forthwith." 

The order issued by Sardesai also states that the FBOs were issued a warning that they had not adhered to the October 15 deadline to furnish the municipality trade licenses to the FDA.The order has been addressed to the president/secretary of the Margao Wholesale Market Association and it notes that individual notices were sent to all the 33 FBOs. 

The requirement for fish traders to get necessary registrations was set in motion by Rane, after the formalin-in-fish fiasco broke out on August 4 and after the brief ban on import of fish was revoked by the government. 

The government had initially given traders 15 days to register but extended the deadline on multiple occasions. The final extension of this deadline, however, ended on October 15, following which the FDA director triggered the process to revoke the registrations and finally issued the order on Tuesday.