Delhi: Don’t issue licences to restaurants, CM Kejriwal tells civic bodies

The Centre government body, FSSAI, has directed the civic bodies to stop issuing food licences. I hope the civic authorities will comply with the Centre’s directions soon, he said

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged the national capital’s civic bodies to comply with the directives of the Central government and discontinue issuing food licences to restaurants.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday had said that the FSSAI had sent a letter to the commissioners of all three municipal corporations of Delhi. (File photo)

“Restaurants contribute to Delhi’s economy and taxes in a big way. They face harassment due to licence raj. All governments should work together to remove harassment. The Centre government body, FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), has directed the civic bodies to stop issuing food licences. I hope the civic authorities will comply with the Centre’s directions soon,” Kejriwal tweeted on Sunday.

Earlier, the Delhi government had announced the abolition of police and health trade licences that are issued by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled municipal corporations for restaurants.

It set a 10-day deadline for the abolishment of health trade licences. The decision to do away with the “licence raj” for restaurants was taken at a meeting chaired by Kejriwal last Wednesday.

Representatives of Delhi’s restaurant owners had attended the meeting.

The restaurateurs had said the FSSAI authorities were the issuing authority of food safety and hygiene licences. However, the issuance of health trade licences by local bodies duplicated the task and was redundant, the restaurateurs had cited.

However, Anamika Mithilesh, mayor, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), countered the Delhi government’s allegations on Saturday and said the latter was playing politics over the issue.

“Health licence is crucial to ensure hygiene standards of the premises and the safety of visitors to restaurants. The process of granting licences is online and transparent. The public health department ensures if an establishment is safe,” she said.

She pointed out that the licence helped ensure an eatery is equipped with the supply of potable water supply and also disposal of solid waste in a bid to prevent any kind of contamination.

“We ensure that operational measures are looked after by local civic bodies and are not overlapping with FSSAI’s requirements,” the mayor said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday had said that the FSSAI, a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), had sent a letter to the commissioners of all three municipal corporations of Delhi (MCDs).

“It is informed that with the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, … and Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration) Rules 2011, the sole authority for issuance of licence/registration of food business operators in India vests with the registering authorities/central or state licencing authorities duly appointed under the provisions of the said Act by the respective commissioner of food safety,” the letter stated.

“In view of above legal position, it is requested to immediately look into the matter and ensure that no separate/additional food licences are issued by your offices and any food business operator who is doing business under your jurisdiction or is planning to start new food business may be directed to obtain the same from FSSAI,” it added.