Roadside Food Vendors to Come Under Closer TG SAFE Watch

Hyderabad: Roadside food vendors will come under closer scrutiny as the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) expands its enforcement activities with Rs 15 crore in initial funding and 81 police personnel joining its enforcement wing.

TG SAFE commissioner Avinash Mohanty told Deccan Chronicle that no food business operator would be spared if found violating food safety rules and urged roadside vendors to be particularly careful about maintaining hygiene and following food safety guidelines.

Mohanty said TG SAFE was formed in view of the growing number of food business operators (FBOs) in Telangana. While nearly one lakh were registered, the actual number of FBOs could be more than three lakh as many people are engaged in different types of food businesses. “The volume of food business operators has increased. We know there are nearly one lakh FBOs, but for sure there will be more than three lakh,” he said.

He said the food safety department was earlier scattered, making enforcement a challenge. Following Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s directions to act against food adulteration, a proposal was made to bring the activities under one umbrella, resulting in the formation of TG SAFE.

Mohanty said several states had stringent food safety laws, but Telangana had taken a new step by creating a dedicated enforcement wing. A total of 81 police personnel, including a DSP-rank officer, head constables and constables, have joined TG SAFE.

He said the police personnel have backgrounds in chemistry and would be able to understand the technical aspects of food safety. They are being trained to assist food safety officers during inspections and enforcement operations.

The administrative structure of TG SAFE, including salaries for its employees, will be decided in the next financial year. For now, the personnel will continue to receive salaries from their respective departments. Mohanty said TG SAFE was not competing with food safety authorities in other states. The Drugs Control Administration (DCA) had a structure and an upgraded laboratory, while the food safety laboratory at Nacharam required additional manpower and machinery.

“We also have FSSAI funds and are looking at what is available after the current upgrades. Further plans will be prepared based on the requirements,” he said. Officials were also expected to visit laboratories in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to study their facilities and functioning.

Strengthening the food safety department’s field staff is another priority. Mohanty said the number of food safety officers would need to be increased from the existing 21 to around 100 to enable regular enforcement drives. He said recent raids on huge number of food business establishments were also meant to send a message to operators to follow food safety guidelines.

TG SAFE is also working on proposals for new enforcement vehicles and a dedicated police station. These proposals will be considered by a state-level committee at its first meeting, as provided under the government order establishing the new organisation.