(Pervez Bari) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to reconsider the provisions of the Food Security and Standards Act 2006.
In a letter to the Prime Minister in this connection, Mr. Chouhan said that some of the provisions and rules incorporated in the new Act are extremely impracticable whose implementation will cast adverse effect on the livelihood of small time food traders and they will be forced to become unemployed. He said that the Act’s provisions and rules pertaining to small time food traders should be reconsidered within a set timeframe. Necessary amendments should be effected. He urged the Prime Minister to stay implementation of these provisions till the process of reconsideration is completed.
In the letter, Chief Minister Mr. Chouhan has appealed that the arrangements for making available healthy and safe food material to common people under the Act should be ensured by keeping them under the ambit of practicability. He said that the intention of the Union Government is to make available healthy and safe food material to common people and not making traders and businessmen unemployed.
Drawing the attention of the Prime Minister towards impracticable provisions of the Act, Chief Minister Mr. Chouhan pointed out that the Act provides for a Rs. 2 lakh fine on small time traders like street vendors in case they fail to get themselves registered under the provisions of the Act. Due to such provisions, it will become difficult for small time traders to run their business on roadside handcarts like those selling kachori-samosa, poha, sweets, grocery items, confectionary, milk etc., the letter said. (pervezbari@eth.net)