Nine associations have based their demand on the SC’s August 19 order which termed the FSSAI’s directives as without legal force.
Nine organisations in the Indian food sector have combined forces to demanded a refund of INR 80 crore collected by the FSSAI for product approvals through advisories since 2013.
The panel, National Joint Action Committee, said that the advisories issued by the FSSAI since 2013 should be withdrawn immediately to give respect to Supreme Court’s order of August 19, which hold that these directives do not have the force of law.
“About INR 80 crore have been collected by FSSAI for product approval through advisory and since the advisory has no locus standi, the said fund should either be refunded to persons from whom it is collected or should be used for Clean India drive of the Prime Minister,” said the Confederation of All India Traders, a NJAC member.
The NJAC has termed the FSSAI’s attitude as autocratic and has launched a national campaign against it.
“Since 2013 the FSSAI has issued about 15 advisories which are in public domain and with order of Supreme Court, all such advisories tend to be redundant and as such liable to be withdrawn,” the NJAC has stated.
The nine NJAC organisations are:
- Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association
- All India Food Processors Association
- Confederation of All India Traders
- Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association
- Protein Food & Nutrition Development Association
- Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs
- Retail Druggist & Chemists Association
- All India Transport Welfare Association
- Bhartiya Kisan Morcha.
