The arrest of designated officer M S Sampath Kumar and food safety officer K Anbazhagan of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department in Vellore on Monday has reinforced the need for the amendment of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2011, said the national vice-president of the Confederation of All India Traders A M Vikramaraja.
Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, Vikramaraja, who is also the president of the Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu, said traders had been strongly opposing the Act even before it was implemented in 2011. He said the traders feared that the Act would not benefit the general public and would pave the way for government officers to get involved in malpractices. “This has been proved now with the arrest of two officers,” he added.
He aid the association has been taking note of the arrest of officials of the Food Safety Department, to report it to the Centre and demand amendments in the Act. Five officials, including the two officers arrested in Vellore, have been arrested in the State since the implementation of the Act, 2011.
Noting that the Act was not executed in 13 States in the country, Vikramaraja said TN had the highest numbers of 545 officers appointed under the Act. “Of these, 33 were ineligible,” he said. He said many officers were thriving on bribes.