|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 4 deadline nears but only 6% FBOs obtain licence, get registration
|
|
Saturday, 24 January, 2015, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Abhitash Singh, Mumbai
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Even as the fresh deadline for obtaining licence and securing registration by food business operators (FBOs) under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011,is round the corner, going by the statistics, just 6 per cent of FBOs across the country seem to have completed the procedure.
For instance, last August when the deadline extension of February 4, 2015, was accorded, out of five crore FBOs in the country only 25 lakh had completed the procedure. And, going by what K Chandramouli, chairman, FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), stated recently at Chennai, the figure has reached just 30 lakh last month.
Reasons for poor nos.
The poor numbers are being attributed to same old reasons - insufficient infrastructure and lack of manpower at FDAs and FDCAs as well as lukewarm response from FBOs either due to lack of awareness or reluctance to comply with the law and complete the procedure.
In fact, such is the situation that except states like MP, UP, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, which have been all along recording a healthy percentage of licensing and registration, most states and Union territories like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Delhi, Chandigarh and Puducherry seem to be trailing with poor figures.
In Delhi, till January 6, 2015, authorities issued 6,736 licences. From among them, 5,464 licences were issued online, while 1,272 were forked out manually.
About 1% in Delhi
According to a senior official from food safety department, Delhi, data is not available to identify the exact number of FBOs in the state, but he estimated it to be 5 lakh. Going by this number, Delhi has not completed even one per cent of licensing or registration of FBOs.
In Haryana, so far around 8,000 licences and 11,000 registrations have been issued. A senior food safety officer from Haryana, on the condition of anonymity, admitted, “ There are around one lakh FBOs in the state, we have to still complete a lot. The delay is because of several extensions to the process of licensing and registration by the food regulator body and ministry of health in the last three years. Due to many extensions, FBOs take it easy. But we are hopeful that as the deadline of February 4, 2015, approaches closer, many FBOs will rush to get their licensing and registration done.”
In Chandigarh, according to Anil Kumar, health secretary-cum-food safety commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, and Union Territories Health Secretariat, from 2,50,000 food business operators in the UT, 2,744 food units were issued licences and 480 were registered. He revealed, “Due to manpower shortage, the work is not getting completed on time even after several extensions. Only 1.28 per cent of FBOs have been registered and licensed in Chandigarh.”
Chhattisgarh’s Kamal Preet Singh, director (health), Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), is equally candid, “ Since FSSAI has given four extensions in the past, FBOs think that they will get further extension, the reason why they show laziness in approaching FDA to complete the process.”
He shares the statistics, “From among 2,30,000 estimated FBOs, only 4,507 have been licensed and 4,722 registered. Only 4.01 per cent of FBOs have completed there licensing and registration process. The key problem we are facing is lack of manpower.”
UP, MP, Guj, Maharashtra
Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, the progress seems to be good. Vijay Bahadur, assistant food safety commissioner, UP, stated, “Till December 2014, we have issued more than 45,000 licenses. Amongst them 44,885 licences were issued under state licence category while 1,247 FBOs were given Central licences.”
He was confident, “Around 19,638 licences were given online and a total of 3,56,754 FBOs were registered. About 1,90,856 food business operators were registered online. Our department will ensure that the work of licensing and registration of all FBOs in the state should be completed by February 4.”
Just like neighbouring UP, Madhya Pradesh is on track. Pramod Shukla, joint food safety commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, Madhya Pradesh, pointed out, “We are far ahead than many states in the country. And after introduction of online registration and licensing, we have completed at least 50 per cent of the target in just five months.”
FBOs’ initiative sought
He stated, “From among estimated 10 lakh FBOs, we have given licences to 37,362 and registered 3,17,933 units. We will try our level best to complete registration of all FBOs in the state. But FBOs should also take interest in completing the procedure before the deadline.”
Meanwhile, down south in Puducherry, according to P Upadhayay, deputy food safety commissioner, Puducherry, the Union territory has completed 50 per cent of registration and licensing. He informed, “We have registered 847 and licensed 331 FBOs. Due to manpower shortage, we are not able to complete the process on time. Our department has sent a proposal for appointing more personnel at our office to concerned ministries. Once this is done, the process will be completed well before deadline.”
Interestingly, in Gujarat, the pace is good. H G Koshia, food safety commissioner, Gujarat, Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), is optimistic, “We are doing very well in completing the registration and licensing of all the FBOs in the state. Around 1,84,000 FBOs have completed registration and licensing. We will be providing a laptop to all our FSOs soon so that they can complete the process very fast. We keep on conducting awareness programmes for FBOs to make them aware about the importance of having licences and getting registration. Our department is hopeful that we will be able to complete at least 80 per cent of registration and licensing in the state.”
Neighbouring Maharashtra, claims to be leading the country by topping in both licensing and registration. Uday Wanjari, joint commissioner, headquarters, Maharashtra, FDA, commented, “ We are aware about the approaching deadline for licensing and registration, and hence, we have set a target for ourselves as well as FSOs to speed up the process by January 26, 2015.”
He concluded, “We have issued licences to 1,73,751 and registered 5,97,958 FBOs. So we are leading among all the states in the country with a figure of 7,71,709 licences and registrations.”
(With inputs from Libin Chacko Kurian,
Harcha Bhaskar and Ashwani Maindola)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|