New law renders Uttarpradesh localbodies powerless against eateries

Uttarpradesh: The new food safety law being implemented has rendered the uttarpradesh Municipal Corporation redundant in the matter of ensuring hygiene and safety in city eateries. That function has now gone to Food and Drugs Administration.

The development has also rendered food inspectors of uttarpradesh local bodies powerless. They will now only be grading the city restaurants and eateries. The development has not gone down well with localbodies health department that used to conduct drives against eateries. The new Food Safety and Standards Act also takes away from localbodies the powers to licence the eateries. localbodies officials earlier  sanitary and food  inspectors used to inspect the hotels and roadside food stalls as per provisions in prevention of food adultration Act in the Cities. FDA was having powers for undertaking such drives but could not do so owing to its own staff crunch. The sanitary and food inspectors  of  u.p. localbodies used to carry out the drives in cities of uttarpradesh.  In uttarpradesh localbodies have 350 qualified food inspectors as per provisions of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act .  These Inspectors were needed to be notified by the State Government. 

The new notification apparently changed the post of food inspectors into food safety officers and required them to be notified by the government. If they will notify as food safety officers it will be better implement of new act.