JMC fails to impalement provision of Foot Act in city

JMC fails to impalement provision of Foot Act in city Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 20: Near about three month ago the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Jammu has issued the order to all the food handlers from restaurants and road side eateries will have to pass a fitness test before seeking extension of the mandatory license. But the order has not fully implemented in Jammu. It is pertinent to mentioned here that this is an initiative by the department as per Government of India’s Food Act 2006. Numbers of applications were presently pending with the JMC due to lack of the required certificate. Officials’ source said that the number of restaurants as well as road side food seller taking the Health Fitness Certificate. Remaining food sellers are not getting Health Fitness Certificate, they also nexus with the JMC employees. “JMC official have not properly checking of these food handlers, there are many roadside food sellers, who are selling food without Health Fitness Certificate, “he added. Sources said that as per the circular all those people who come under direct contact with food have to demonstrate “fitness for work”. The order has put a ban on the issuance or renewal of the licence without production of the fitness certificate to ensure that the these food sellers, regardless of the safety precautions they take at work, undergo a mandatory medical examination for ratifying their physical fitness in order to pursue their trade. “The JMC has issued a circular making the Health Fitness Certificate’ and vaccination for communicable diseases mandatory for those who are making or serving food to the people in the city, “he added. He further said that the Health and Sanitation Department has taken this decision to minimize the spread of communicable disease through eating at public places. Those who intend to get or extend license from JMC have to their medical fitness certificate from any registered medical practitioners. The Concerned authority has claimed, they official go in the market, where these food restaurants and roadside food handlers for checking Health Fitness Certificate. The most of these food sellers are taking Health Fitness Certificate from the JMC. They further claimed that if anyone have not taken these certificate, they official given him to time for get certificate, after that person not take certificate, the concerned authority will take suitable step against him.