Stricter norms for street, processed food
Aiming to lay down stricter standards in street and processed food, the Narendra Modi government on Wednesday withdrew a bill in this regard pending with Parliament. The Union cabinet decided to bring a fresh amendment to the Food Safety and Standards Bill.
The government’s stance also coincided with the first meeting of the inter-ministerial group of consumer advocacy. The panel has decided to pitch for higher standards in supply of potable water for street food kiosks and other areas.
The government will also take into account the recent judgments of the Supreme Court, among other things, before finalising the fresh draft of the food safety and standards bill.
It was also decided to raise the authorised share capital of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) from the existing level of ` 1,000 crore to ` 6,000 crore.
INFRA PROJECTS REVIEWED
The PM has once again directed key infrastructure ministries to strictly monitor timelines that have been set for big ticket infrastructure projects.
At a meeting to review the progress of key infrastructure sectors including road, railways, shipping and civil aviation — the third such meeting after taking charge — Modi urged top officials to undertake cyber-visits of all major project locations at least once a month, so that they could keep track of the progress of work on a real-time basis.
Emphasizing that there is now no delay in decision-making at the highest level, Modi told officials that this should help ministries achieve their targets. He also repeatedly emphasized the need for faster inter-ministerial coordination and resolution of issues, and laid stress on achieving visible results in clear timeframes.
“Various connectivity related infra sectors should be inter-related and closely coordinated,” he is said to have told officials.