THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The food safetydepartment has come up with a plan for a safe food zone near major government hospitals to rehabilitate street vendors supplying food packets. The initiative is part of its efforts to control functioning of unhygienic food outlets in and around major hospitals.
Vendors supplying meal packets will get a new cart under the project.
"Once we get sponsors, we will supply carts to vendors. A specific area will be earmarked for them near hospitals and it will be ensured that they are under the surveillance of the department," a food safety official said.
A pilot project will be launched at Chirayinkeezhu taluk hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. Safe food zones will also be introduced in Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital and Neyyattinkara district hospital. The project will be part of Mission 676 programme of the state government.
A senior department official said a discussion on the design of cart was held with the smallindustries development corporation on Wednesday. "We have not taken a decision on the number of carts, the exact location of safe food zones etc," he said.
Officials said the carts would be similar to those supplied by Thiruvananthapuram corporation to rehabilitate street vendors. The health department had earlier raised complaints against the sale of food by vendors in open places, following which the city corporation, the district administration and the food safety department had decided to provide better facilities for vendors.
The vendors will have to get themselves registered under the department, which will bring theirkitchen too under the food safety radar. The official said it was the low price of meal packets that made them popular but the concern of hygiene had grown manifold with the onset of monsoon.
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