The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday passed an order directing all street vendors and food establishments to prominently display the names of owners, proprietors, and staff members.
The move, seen as following in the footsteps of the Yogi Adityanath government, aims to bring cleanliness and hygiene to food outlets.
A day ago, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mandated that eatery shop owners, managers, and proprietors display their names outside their food centres.
Installation of CCTVs in hotels and restaurants has also been made mandatory. Himachal Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh, briefing the media on Wednesday, said that the state government has made a decision similar to that of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that people have access to clean and hygienic food.
“Urban Development Ministry and the Municipal Corporation, in a meeting, collectively took this decision while considering people’s fears and apprehensions about food availability at food stalls,” Vikramaditya said.
“We have decided to strictly enforce the rules in the state, much like Uttar Pradesh,” he told scribes.
He further stated that those selling food on the streets must display their names and IDs prominently. If any complaints regarding food and menu are received, suitable action will be taken.
When questioned on restricting food vendor licences to Himachal residents alone, he voiced opinion against it; however, he added that reservations are being mooted in offering new licences. “Locals should be preferred for giving licences while those from Dalit community and handicapped category will be entitled to a certain amount of reservation,” he added.
Earlier, he also wrote on his Facebook: “Every restaurant and fast-food outlet will be required to display the owner’s ID to ensure that people face no difficulties. Instructions for this have been issued in the Urban Development and Municipal Corporation meeting held yesterday.” A day ago, the Uttar Pradesh government issued detailed guidelines for all the eateries and food outlets operating in the state.
They were directed to display the owners’ names, install CCTV cameras, and strictly watch for food adulteration. The UP Chief Minister also warned against any food adulteration, referring to incidents of human waste mixing with food materials in other states.
–IANS
Subscribe to our Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram channels and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.