Six years on, food safety officers are finally on state govt payroll

More than six years after they joined their respective Food and Drugs Department (FDA), 33 food inspectors from across various civic bodies in the state have finally been absorbed in the state government services in their capacity as Food Safety Officers (FSO).

An official notification to this effect was issued by the Medical Education and Drugs Department on Tuesday.

However, it remained an unending wait for seven food inspectors who have retired since then. All these personnel had continued to be on the pay-roll of the concerned rural and urban local bodies. Replacing the age-old Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954, the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) 2006, and Rules and Regulations 2011 came into force across the country from August 5, 2011.

To bring about the effective implementation the Central

In view of the staff crunch emerging out for the implementation of the new act, the State government had extended an in-principle nod to shift food officials with civic bodies who were ready to join the FDA

Food Authority had provided a workforce structure to all state FDAs which needed re-designation of officials. In view of the staff crunch emerging out for the implementation of the new act, the state government had extended an in-principle nod to shift food officials with civic bodies who were ready to join the FDA.

Of the 57, food inspectors from 22 civic bodies including Mira-Bhayandar had given their consent to switch over to the FDA as FSOs.

Most of the FSOs have been carrying out the responsibilities assigned to them by their department heads from the FDA since August 2011.

However, these FSOs were technically employed with the civic bodies as the files in context to the official absorbing process towards redesignation had entangled in bureaucratic red tape for more than 6 years.

The civic bodies had to bear monthly salaries and other perks of these food inspectors who are now FSOs.