Tamilnadu Foodgrains Merchants’ Association Ltd.-Press News

From:  K.Ramachandran

           Formerly Treasurer: Tamilnadu Foodgrains Merchants’ Association Ltd.

           244, Great Cotton Road,

           TUTICORIN-628 001

           Advisor: Tamil Nadu Anaithu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaippu, Chennai

           Mobile Phone: 098422 37502  e-mail: ramrathi.ramachandran@gmail.com

    To: Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda,

          Hon’ble Minister for Health & Family Welfare,

          Government of India,

          NEW DELHI

10^th November 2014

Hon’ble Sir,

            At the outset I congratulate you for assuming the most important portfolio in our Modiji cabinet.   I pray the Almighty to shower His blessings on you to create a history by achieving in this Health portfolio.   Secondly, I thank my patriotic friend Shri Narendra Modiji with whom I have contacts through letters every month since December 2013, for choosing you in this crucial period where the indigenous traders of food articles are put into much hardship.

 

            I would like to narrate briefly the necessity to repeal the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Rules and Regulations 2011 which was enacted by the previous Government to completely eliminate our domestic food business and to give red carpet welcome for foreign corporate companies.   Indeed we welcome the implementation of Swachch Bharath by our Hon’ble Prime Minister by which Indian citizens will have awareness to keep their homes, surroundings, working places clean.   At the same time we also stress the need to manufacture, sell and consume only safe food which should be free from adulteration and healthy.

 

            Our previous Government in order to eliminate our domestic traders from food trade and also to introduce the way of consuming foreign type pizza, burger etc. so as to forget our traditional food, FSS Act was introduced.   Because of the protests throughout the country and litigation in the Court of Law, the period to take License and for Registration was given extension and finally now the dead line is on 4^th February 2015.   Although there are many factors for our objection against this Act, one important example can be shown as under.   A farmer who cultivates udad (Black Gram) in his field gets his produce damaged due to rain at the time of harvest, will not be able to sell to a trader or manufacturer of dhall who in turn can process and remove the damaged grain.   This is because, once if a trader buys such damaged produce, he will be prosecuted immediately under this Act.   Seeing such impracticable Rules and Regulations of this Act, Madhya Pradesh Government openly declined to implement this Act in their State.  

 

               Instead of the Food Safety and Standards Act, a new Act in the name of Standardization of Food for Human Consumption may be enacted.   Already even educated bureaucrats and dignified politicians get confused with this Act owing to the similarity in the name of Food Security Act which was enacted on 2013.   In fact when a food for human consumption is standardized, then there cannot be any question or doubt about its safety.   A detailed discussion can be had with the office bearers of CAIT and the Tamilnadu Foodgrains Merchants’ Association Ltd., Madurai.

 

            It is learnt that during the winter session of Parliament, the cabinet will deeply discuss about the evil effects of this Act and until the needed amendments are finalized, this Act may be repealed.   It is of Natural Justice that until a consensus is arrived, the implementation of the Act should be kept in abeyance.   It may take some more months to finalize the standards and any hasty implementation may lead to spoil the nation’s food business.

 

            I hope our BJP Government is mostly taking care of the food business operators and the consumers and will not allow our traders to perish.

 

            Awaiting your positive reply in this matter, I remain.

                                                                                                         Yours faithfully,

 

                                                                                                      (K.Ramachandran)