Food joints outside lal dora face closure

Chandigarh, May 6

The UT Administration will not issue food license to the restaurants, bakeries, dhabas and other food joints operating outside lal dora limits of the city. 

With these orders, these food joints will now face closure as without food license running these units will be illegal.

As per the recent orders issued by UT Home Secretary-cum-Commissioner of Food Safety under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, no premises outside Lal Dora (Abadi-Deh) will be issued any license/registration. Besides, no renewal of license/registration of premises which fall outside Lal Dora will be done if they have issued food licenses/registration under FSS Act 2006 or Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

A senior official of the UT Administration said not only outside Lal Dora, but now within the city no objection certificate (NOC) from Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), Estate Office and Municipal Corporation is required to be submitted for issue of food license if food business operator is running business in residential premises, basements and on the upper floors of shop-cum-flats (SCF).

On these directions, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM) President Charanjiv Singh said before closing down these units, the UT Administration should provide proper space to these people, where they can run their units legally. The administration should also take suggestions from various traders’ body on this issue before initiating any action, he suggested. 

SAD Councillor Malkiat Singh said instead of stopping issuing licenses to people who are running food joints outside Lal Dora the Administration should extend Lal Dora limit in city villages.