Open letter to Prime Minister on "Make in India" Challenges

Open letter to Prime Minister on "Make in India" and Challenges for Honest Manufacturers

Dear Sh. Modi ji,

Hon’ble Pradhan Sewak of India

I heard your appeal for “maan ki baat” to share ideas with you.

Let me draw attention to you on something very basic and fundamental issue, because I never heard you talking about food safety and adulteration in India. I know it will put India in bad light, but we can't ignore the facts on ground as well. You attention can change the situation, that is why I am raising this difficult issue.

It was shameful experience when some foreigners asked me in a conference, what are you doing as country under 'Make in India' to check adulterated and unsafe products for your own citizens.

·       Why you are not willing to offer safe food to your own people, why only exports are of interest to you?

·    Will "Make in India" ensure food safety and healthy food for your own people, before feeding the world? The amount of incentive and efforts you all make to promote safe food exports, why similar effort is not their for your own population..

I had no answer, but I thought about it. I thought it is not difficult.

According to various reports 30 to 35% food in India is adulterated and substandard. It means life of 40 crore people is at risk at all times every day. Queues in hospitals is a clear evidence, what we are feeding to people in this country. 

Important: We have never seen any report or national survey of sickness due to food positing in annual report of FSSAI and Ministry of health. Why they are silent on this issue? Please as your office to check.

I am sharing a plan to share with you and all your officers in my database and also on social media. Will they act or not, only time will tell.

Plan is as follows:

There are 5000 food inspectors in India. Even if they book 2 adulterated samples a days, it means 200,000 samples a month. All manufactures making dirty products will be closed in 6 months. Will inspectors do this as mission? This is the issue.

Question to FSSAI, will in how many months or weeks they will ensure safe food under 'MAKE IN INDIA' mission for food sector.

Should we create employment in food sector at the cost of public health?

If ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ foods are adulterated, it raises the question on systems developed by FSSAI and their functioning.

Sir, thieves and criminals will exist in society, it depends upon the competency of enforcement agencies to keep them away from markets and public.

Police can't say why people are stealing or committing crime, instead they should ensure that these elements should go behind the bars.

If thieves are roaming freely and adulterated products are in market, it means either inspectors including officers in government approved sample testing laboratories are incompetent or corrupt or both. There is no reason why they can't catch the adulterated products in market.

If they are competent and honest, in that case they have no desire to clean the system and only interest in getting salaries at the cost of sick people and sufferings of the common man. Is this morally correct and ethical right in civilized society?

In any of the situation action is required and accountability should be fixed for the departments.

Question to FSSAI and concerned departments are:

1.   Will FSSAI make the sampling and testing system transparent in food laboratories in India?

2.   How many samples are picked up every day?

3.   Can we have daily report, how many were picked up and how many found adulterated? FSSAI can learn from Agmarknet, how to do daily reporting.

4.   What actions were taken against violators?

5.   Are those units whose samples were found adulterated still functioning, if yes, how many samples were taken in last few months. Surveillance must increase 10 times on doubtful suppliers. Force them to change or close them till they improve.

6.   Can we have weekly analysis reports on website of all Central Food Laboratories and FSSAI?

7.   Will FSSAI ensure transparency in food safety surveillance system in India?

I hope, under "Make in India", you will ensure that India should not become hub of adulterated and substandard foods. 

Adulteration should be declared an act of Terrorism against society:

Sir, Adulteration and sub-standard food manufacturers and suppliers also generate black money and violate tax laws. They do it will proper planning and with full knowledge. These people also bribe the system and corrupt all enforcement agencies around them.  These people never report correct picture and they are habitual offenders of all laws. They are terrorists using food as the weapon to kill the people or make them sick, including infants, pregnant ladies, old people, poor people, etc. for their own agenda and vested interests. They don't leave anyone, so why mercy on them. 

Inspectors and laboratories those who support these elements should be considered in the same act.

Adulterated food will also derail your "Start-up India" initiative as well, because honest products will be expensive compare to adulterated products. New investments and start-ups will fail, if we don't check illegal products.

Sir, learn from China when the find adulterated food and companies involved. What they do with them?China gave capital punishment to the officers those who were involved in corrupt practices involving food adulteration and suppliers were behind the bars.

I have never seen any industry association raising voice against adulterated food with the same intensity like the demand for the tax rate cuts. So, hope for self-certification will bring quality food is doubtful.

Who will answer this?

Sir, will you address this in your “maan ki baat”, whenever you will feel this is an important issue for India and health of citizens of India.

There may be similar situations in other sectors as well, your office can identify and update you on the same. If honest manufactures and products are not getting support from the law enforcement agencies, and they are forced to reduce their production because of low cost adulterated products, why he should invest in new facilities or in expansion. "Make in India" must also fix spurious, adulterated, substandard products to become a success story.

Looking forward for an action plan (with a timeline within 2019) from your end to address this challenge, not just statement please.

With best regards,

Vijay Sardana

Citizen of India

Important : If you feel this is an important issue for citizens of India and for you, please play your role and share it till it reaches PMO.