RS Concerned Over Govt Apathy to Food Safety and Standards

New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) Members in the Rajya Sabha today took the Government to task for failing to frame a comprehensive legislative measure ensuring wholesome food products fit for human consumption.

Participating in a brief and inconclusive discussion on The Food Safety and Standards Bill, 2006 -- already passed by the Lok Sabha, members from both sides in the Upper House lambasted the Ministry for Food Processing Industries for not doing its homework properly -- and coming out with a proposed measure that was vague, lacking in accountability and not elucidatory enough.

They further charged Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahay with having fallen victim to the wiles of the Multi-National Corporations -- keen to exploit the world's second largest consumer market.

Initiating the discussion on the Bill, Bharatiya Janata Party member Ajay Maroo apprehended that millions of people -- directly or indirectly connected with the Food Processing sector -- would be adversely affected once the proposed measure took effect.

He further called for raising the quality standards of existent Food Testing Laboratories in the country -- as also increasing their number across the land.

Mr Santosh Bagrodia (Congress) -- in the same vein -- lashed at Minister Sahay for the provisions in the Bill which were ''vaguely worded, unclear in many an aspect and lacking mention of accountability''.

Earlier, introducing the Bill, Minister Sahay claimed the Bill was ''a comprehensive measure... seeking to replace an earlier legislation framed as early as 1954''.

The Bill, he said, sought to bring under one roof matters hitherto dealt by a plethora of ministries and departments -- as many as eight of the former and a round dozen of the latter.

He said his Ministry had consulted a vast cross-section of related sectors over the past more than four years -- since February 28, 2002 -- in coming out finally with the proposed measure that sought to do away with the pernicious ''Inspector Raj'' that had been the major ill affecting this fledgling sector of industry.

Minister Sahay claimed that The Food Safety and Standards Bill -- once enacted -- would bring forth a new era of prosperity for the poor farmers -- presently facing financial hardships with quite a large number having opted for suicide as the only option to the vicious debt cycle.

UNI RT/DG PK RAI1955