By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 26 Sep: The Uttarakhand Secretariat, and District Jail Complex, Sudhowala, have been declared ‘Eat Right Campus’ by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Government of India (FSSAI).
Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, while handing over the certificate issued by the Government of India to the Secretary, Secretariat Administration, and Inspector General, Jails, termed this initiative as very important, commendable and effective.
The Uttarakhand Secretariat has joined the selected secretariat complexes of the country certified as an Eat Right Campus.
A programme was organised today in this regard with Chief Secretary Radha Raturi in the chair at the auditorium of the State Secretariat. On this occasion, the Chief Secretary duly presented the Eat Right Campus certificate issued by the Government of India to the Secretary, Secretariat Administration, Dipendra Chaudhary, and the Deputy Inspector General, Jails. The Chief Secretary praised the Secretariat Administration for this important and effective initiative and the efforts made by the Inspector General, Jails. Raturi congratulated the Food Supervisors of various food services like Indira Amma Bhojanalaya, GMVN Canteen, working in the Secretariat premises for this achievement. She said that they should live up to the test of maintaining their services as per the standards of safe and hygienic food every day.
Describing this initiative taken by the Secretariat Administration under the aegis of Food and Drug Administration, Uttarakhand, as essential, the Chief Secretary said that the State Secretariat is an exemplary place and people from various places of the state keep coming here, in view of which declaring this campus as Eat Right Campus will set an example for other institutions of the State Government as well.
Similarly, ensuring availability of food items to prisoners as per food safety standards by the canteens and restaurants of jails located in the state is also a matter of top priority for the government. In this direction, the Eat Right Campus certificate issued to District Jail, Sudhowala, is an important step.
It is to be noted that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has started the Eat Right Campus initiative to ensure availability of safe and healthy food items to all such workplaces, where most of the people working there regularly consume at least one snack or meal.
In this regard, under the aegis of Food and Drug Administration, Uttarakhand, food safety audit of all the canteens and other food services operating in the State Secretariat and District Jail Complex, Sudhowala, Dehradun was done recently and food safety based FoSTac was provided to the food handlers working here.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had authorised experienced organisations like Academy of Management Studies for training, URS Certification for audit work and The Red Carpet Venture for conducting this initiative. In this entire process, the State Secretariat and Jail Administration did not have to bear any financial burden and all the expenses were borne by the internationally renowned organisation Herbalife India under CSR.
During the event, Secretary, Secretariat Administration, Dipendra Chaudhary, IG Vimala Gunjyal, Additional Secretary Anuradha Pal, Deputy Inspector General, Jails, Dadhiram Maurya, Additional Commissioner, FDA, Tajbar Singh, Ganesh Kandwal, Deputy Commissioner/Nodal Officer, Eat Right India, Food Supervisors of Indira Amma Bhojanalaya, GMVN Canteen, Millet Bakery and Anchal Dairy located in the Secretariat premises and training partners authorised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, food auditors, etc., were among those present.
