VADODARA: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has decided to take action against those street food vendors who have not registered themselves under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA). The civic body claims that only a small number of such street food joints got themselves registered under the act.
The VMC brought out a circular stating that those street food vendors who had not registered themselves till Wednesday would face action under FSSA if they were found operating. It also stated that they would have to maintain hygienic conditions as prescribed under the FSSA. According to officials, under provisions of FSSA, a person operating a food business without licence could be imprisoned for six months and slapped a fine of up to Rs five lakh.
The VMC has cracked down on street food vendors across the city since about a month. Most of them were operating illegally on roadside in the city. VMC officials said that a large majority of street vendors in the city were those who could be categorised as food business operators.
It is estimated that around 25,000 street vendors exist in the city. "Against this only six thousand have registered themselves under the FSSA. Clearly a majority of them are operating without a registration," said VMC commissioner Dr Vinod Rao. He pointed out that this could prove to be a health hazard if food from one of them caused illness to several people. The street vendors will have to compulsorily display their registration certificate at their establishment.
The person in whose name it has been taken will also have to keep his identity proof in possession to ascertain that no other person but the licensee was operating the outlet.
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