MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has appealed to the Union government’s FSSAI to extend the filing date for the annual returns for upto March 31st 2023 for all the stakeholders without any penalty to safeguard trade and industry.
Mr.S.V.S.S.VelShankar, association president and Mr.S.P.Jeyapragasam, honorary advisor, have made this request through a press statement issued from Madurai on 28th November 2022.
“We are requesting the FSSAI and the Centre not to penalize the food business operators i.e. manufacturers and repackers for not fling annual returns. The authorities must create awareness among the manufacturers and repackers for filing the annual returns for income tax……Hence, the authorities should extend the filing date for the annual returns filing to 31st March 2023 without any penalty. We understand that under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, Rules and Regulation 2011, those who are manufacturers and repackers have to submit the annual returns to the FSSAI authorities. But, most of these stakeholders are not aware of this procedure. After two years of corona COVID pandemic, the trade and industry is normalizing and hence we appeal to the Central government to not penalize with huge penalty amount,” the Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has said in its appeal to the central government about filing of annual returns as per FSSAI rules.
The association has sent a representation in this regard to the Union Minster for Health and Family Welfare Mr.Mansukh Mnadaviya, to the chairman of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Mr.Rajesh Bhushan and to the CEO of FSSAI New Delhi Mr.C.Gopalakrishnan, through a letter dated 28th November 2022.
