Few certified eateries in city, reveals RTI

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 1

Be it famous food joints or a small food carts, it requires a licence or registration under the Food Safety Act to operate. Surprisingly, food joints and carts can be seen in every nook and corner of the industrial city and are considered the lifeline of people living away from their homes. But there are only 1,380 licence holders and 1,994 registrations under the Food Safety Act. The number is trivial as compared to the number of food joints and carts running in the city.

The High Court had shot notices to Principal Secretary, Food Safety Commissioner and Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, in this regard after a Public Interest Litigation was filed by city-based RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal. The date of hearing for the same is July 20.

Sabharwal had written a complaint to the Principal Secretary Health in 2016 in this regard, but he failed to evince any reply, after which he filed an RTI with the Health Department. He sought a few queries from the department such as total number of food business operators in the city that have been checked by the competent authority for ensuring that they were following basic hygiene and those not following proper hygiene, total number of food operators that were issued licence and registration certificate and total number of food operators who did not apply for licence and registration.

Any food joint including a hotel, restaurant or a small eatery, such as a dhaba or roadside food cart, need to get the licence or registration certificate under the Food Safety Act. If the turnover of the eatery is more than Rs12 lakh a year, then it is mandatory to get a licence and if the turnover is less than Rs12 lakh, then a registration certificate is required.

Through RTI it came forward that from June 10, 2016 to January 2, 2018, only 1,380 licences and 1,994 registration certificates have been issued. It was further revealed that approximately 8,000 food business operators were supposed to get the licence while 25,000 were yet to get registrations done.

In addition to this, it was also revealed that the hygiene part of the food operators was checked only when the department visits to collect the food samples, while no other data was available in this regard.

RTI activist Sabharwal said it had been witnessed that major food business operators in the city were running their business without obtaining any registration certificates or licences.

“Neither the state government nor the authorities concerned are bothered in keeping a check on such food business operators to get themselves registered. Even the hygiene and safety part is not being taken seriously by the department,” he said.

Civil Surgeon Dr Parwinder Pal Singh Sidhu confirmed that he did receive the notice from the High Court.

Licence, registration mandatory

Any food joint including a hotel, restaurant or a small eatery, such as a dhaba or roadside food cart, need to get a licence or a registration certificate under the Food Safety Act. If the turnover of the eatery is more than Rs 12 lakh a year, then it is mandatory to get a licence and if the turnover is less than Rs 12 lakh, then a registration certificate is required.

What RTI reveals

• Only 1,380 licences and 1,994 registration certificates have been issuedfrom June 10, 2016, to January 2, 2018
• Approximately 33,000 food operators function without licence (8,000 approximately) and registration (25,000)
• Food operators’ hygiene checked only when the department officials visits to collect food samples, while no other data was available in this regard