NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The food and drugs administration department has directed 33 food business operators dealing in the sale of fish and fish products at the wholesale fish market in Margao to stop doing their business immediately as FDA’s registering authority in South Goa has revoked their registration certificates for failing to submit copies of trade licences.
The revocation order issued to the 33 food business operators separately by the FDA registering authority Santa Rita Abel Rodrigues stated that the applicants have not submitted copies of municipality trade licences as promised in an undertaking submitted on August 31, 2018.
According to the FDA, the registration certificates were issued to fish traders upon receiving the undertaking along with applications for the grant of registration certificates.
However, they have failed to submit copies of trade licences issued by the municipality.
The letter, which has been sent to the traders by the FDA registering authority, said: “It is understood that your annual turnover exceeds Rs 12 lakh per annum, and hence you fall under licence category. In this regard, you are hereby informed that you have to apply for licence under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 by submitting your application in form ‘B’ along with the required documents.”
The letter said the undertaking, which had been signed by the president and the secretary of the Margao Wholesale Market Association, was received by the authority.
Accordingly, an opportunity was given to the traders to produce the municipality trade licences before October 17, 2018. The food business operators had also been informed that failure on their part to submit the same would result in revocation of the registration certificates granted.
“It is noted that the trade licence is neither submitted by you nor by association till date,” the letter said.
“In view of above, and taking into consideration of your undertaking dated August 31, 2018, I hereby revoke the registration certificate issued to you to conduct business of wholesale/distributor/supplier of fish and fish product, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms at the wholesale fish market, Margao. Therefore, you are hereby directed to stop immediately dealing in the sale of fish and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms at the wholesale fish market, Margao,” said the revocation order.
It also warned that non-compliance of the abovementioned directions will attract legal actions as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006.
FDA director Jyoti Sardesai has also written a letter to the president of the Margao Wholesale Market Association informing him about the revocation of the registration certificates issued to all the FBOs.
“Further, the FBOs transporting fish should obtain transporter licence for their vehicles under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, either from this directorate or from the concerned state authority, failing which they will not be allowed to enter the state of Goa,” Sardesai said in the letter.
OUR MARGAO REPORTER ADDS: Chief officer of the Margao municipal council Siddhivinayak Naik said on Wednesday that over 30 applications received from fish traders seeking trade licences from the municipality have not been considered, as the applications need to be examined and decided upon as under which category the trade licences should be issued.
Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, Naik said, “We have not considered the applications as we want to examine as under which category the trade licences should be issued, or whether the licence should be issued as a vendor or as a trader. If these applications are considered for issuance of trader licences then the applicants will have to submit necessary documents, which they have not submitted. If the MMC gives them vendor licences then they will have to complete other formalities…. The MMC chairperson has been apprised of the whole situation…”
Some 45 days ago, the traders association had submitted a list of over 30 applications seeking trade licences.
He said the MMC chairperson is drawing up the agenda for a council meeting, which will decide the fate of the applications.