Pune: Ganesh Mandals in Pune serving prasad, mahaprasad or other food during Ganeshotsav will have to register with the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). The department has made registration mandatory and will deploy special teams to inspect food preparation and hygiene throughout the 10-day festival. The FDA has issued guidelines aimed at ensuring that food served to devotees is safe and hygienic.
Mandals organising food donation drives or distributing prasad will also come under the rules. FDA teams will visit Mandals during Ganeshotsav and inspect the quality of prasad and mahaprasad. They will also check the conditions in which food is prepared and distributed. Action will be taken if teams find unhygienic conditions, dirt or violations of food safety requirements during preparation.
₹100 Registration Option For Ganesh Mandals
Ganesh Mandals can obtain FDA registration for different periods depending on their requirements. Registration is available for 12 months, three months or only for the 10 days of Ganeshotsav.
The fee for three-month and 10-day registrations has been fixed at ₹100.
"It is mandatory for every Mandal serving food to register with the FDA. For the convenience of the Mandals, this registration can be obtained for 12 months, three months, or for the 10-day period of Ganeshotsav. A fee of ₹100 will be charged for the three-month and 10-day registrations," FDA Joint Commissioner Digambar Bhogawade said.
Special FDA Teams To Visit Mandals
The Pune division of the FDA has formed special teams to monitor food distribution during all 10 days of Ganeshotsav.
Officials will visit Ganesh Mandals and inspect food quality, cleanliness and hygiene at the site. They will also check whether food is being prepared in accordance with the prescribed requirements.
The inspections will cover prasad and mahaprasad as well as other food distributed by Mandals during the festival.
The FDA said the guidelines are intended to protect devotees as large quantities of food are prepared and distributed during Ganeshotsav.
How Ganesh Mandals Can Register
The new requirement has caused some confusion among Ganesh Mandals over who needs to register and how the process works.
The FDA has clarified that registration is compulsory for Mandals that serve or distribute food or prasad. An online facility is available for completing the registration process.
Mandals have been asked to submit the required details through the official Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) portal and complete their registration in time.
The registration facility is available on the official FoSCoS portal.
