Food ministers from various states in the country have passed a resolution in a meeting held here recently, asking for bringing the apex food regulator FSSAI under the purview of ministry of consumers affairs, food and public distribution.
According to Saryu Rai, one of the participating ministers from Jharkhand and a party to the resolution, the reason for the demand was that matters such as misbranding, adulteration and quality were related to consumer affairs ministry and hence needed to be dealt with under that ministry.
Rai, while talking to FnB News, informed that the resolution was unanimously agreed upon by the ministers participating in the deliberations. “Whether its misbranding or quality issue, people come to food ministry. Both issues are related to consumer affairs. Secondly, the food and consumer affairs department has resources all across the country, officers at the level of block, consumer courts at district level etc., which are needed to take care of consumer rights.”
He added that the prime objective of the department was to protect consumer rights and Union ministry of food and consumer affairs had already started setting up the appellate authority and a commission for taking suo motu action in such cases.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, G S Bali, minister of food, Himachal Pradesh, said that the issue related to misbranding and quality of the food needed to be dealt with separately, wherein the former should come under food and consumer affairs, the latter should remain with the health department.
Regarding this, Rai argued that there was no difference between misbranding and quality issues. The two are interrelated.
When asked about the reaction of Union minister of consumers affairs, food and public distribution Ram Vilas Paswan to their demand, Rai said that the resolution was made part of the minutes of the meeting and he expected the Union minister to take the matter further.
