3rd February, 2014

NATIONWIDE AGITATION IF FOOD SAFETY & STANDARDS ACT IS NOT DEFERRED
TRADERS NATIONAL CONCLAVE ON 27-28 FEBRUARY AT NEW DELHI
POLITICAL SPECTRUM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ONSLAUGHT ON TRADERS

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), apex body of trading community in a Press Conference held today at Mumbai has declared to launch a nationwide aggressive agitation against Food Safety and Standards Act, if it is not deferred immediately by the Union Government as last date of obtaining Registration or License under the Act from the concerned Department is being expired tomorrow. The CAIT has demanded the Government to defer the Act and constitute a Joint Committee of Officials and Trade Leaders to make and in depth study of the Act and to recommend the Government necessary changes in the said Act. The continuation of food trade without Registration will attract fine of Rs. 5 lakh and imprisonment for six months.

The Act is applicable not only on the traders but has wider implications even on a common man as wherever the food items are served for profit or even for non-profit motive which includes even religious places like Temples, Gurudwara, Wedding or any other social function, meetings, Conferences, Seminars etc. Further, Mahila Grah Udyog, Cottage and Rural Industry, Self Employed Persons, Fishermen, Roadside Vendors, Hawkers, small and medium restaurants and food places, farmers, tribal groups, Honey Bee Collectors, slaughter Houses, small traders, traditional Halwais and even the social service schemes like Mid Day Meals etc of the Government will be under the purview of the Act. Even the enterprises involved in processing, packing, storage, distribution, imports or transportation will be liable to comply the provisions of the Act.

While addressing the Press Conference, National Secretary General of the CAIT Mr. Praveen Khandelwal informed that a CAIT delegation has already submitted a detailed representation to Union Health Minister Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad during a meeting with him on 14th January, 2014. Though Mr. Azad has assured the CAIT to defer the Act and to constitute a Joint Committee of senior Officials and CAIT representatives but so far no notification of deferment has been issued though last is expiring tomorrow and such in the absence of any notification of deferment so far, there is much panic among trading community of the Country.

The Press Conference was also attended by CAIT National Vice President Mr. Lalit Gandhi from Kolhapur, CAIT Maharashtra Chapter President Kirti Rana and Convener Mr. Mahesh Bakhai, Maharashtra Vice President Mr. Viren Shah, prominent trade leader from Jalgaon Mr. Purshottam Tiwari and others.

The Trade leaders also informed the CAIT has also taken up the issue with Union Law Minister Shri Kapil Sibal who has already had extensively discussion with Union Health Minister Shri Gulam Nabi Azad who is convinced that the Act needs a re-look raised by CAIT. Even the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Smt. Sushma Swaraj and Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee of Lok Sabha has already sent communications to Mr. Azad supporting the demand of deferment of the Act raised by CAIT.

The trade leaders at the Conference also strongly criticized the Maharashtra Government for imposing LBT on traders of Maharashtra which is causing great harassment and victimization. The trade leaders wondered that at a time when both Union Government and State Governments are contemplating a uniform taxation system across the Country, levy of LBT exclusively on Maharashtra traders is a clear case of utter discrimination. The CAIT has demanded Maharashtra Government to withdraw LBT from Maharashtra and any such tax may be subsumed with proposed GST.

Meanwhile, in the wake of forthcoming Lok Sabha Polls and to raise traders issues strongly and prominently, the CAIT is holding an All India Traders Convention on 27th and 28th Feburary,2014 at New Delhi which will be inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister. The CAIT has also invited Congress Vice President Shri Rahul Gandhi and leaders of other prominent political parties including BJP, Congress,Shiv Sena, CPI, CPM, SP, BSP, RJD, JD(U), AIADMK, DMK, Akali Dal, BJD, TDP etc. The CAIT will present its Traders Charter and will seek views of the political parties.

The trade leaders said that the political spectrum of the Country has so far grossly neglected the trading community and has taken a comfortable ride on us but now it is high time and the traders across the Country have decided to bring end to this system. The trade leaders deeply regretted that more than 6 crore traders of the Country conducting business activities in unorganised sector feels cheated by the political fraternity since in spite of generating an annual turnover of more than 20 lakh crores of rupees and making a magnificent contribution of about 15percent to national GDP, the trading community has never find itself on priority of neither any Government nor on any political fraternity.

The Convention will discuss core issues like multiple taxation system, archaic laws, Acts and Rules, harassment and victimization at the hands of bureaucracy, absence of any national or state level trade policy for traders, absence of any viable financial mechanism to provide financial assistance to traders, govt policies to crush small traders have become the order of the day and unfortunately those in power are least bothered about this sorry state of affairs and have always taken the trading community in a light manner. FDI in Retail, FDI in Retail in E Commerce, absence of any viable financial mechanism for traders, Free Trade Agreement with European Countries and other nations, upgradation and modernization of existing retail trade are some of the major issues of concern of the traders.