PATNA: Chief secretary (CS) Deepak Kumar has said a survey of street food vendors in the city was being conducted in order to rehabilitate them.
“The street food carts and kiosks are mostly unhygienic. We are going to provide them either glass shields or plastic sheets to cover the food items. We may also provide them new carts with covers,” Kumar told this newspaper on Friday.
Street vendors in Patna and other urban areas in the state are supposed to be rehabilitated under the provisions of ‘Bihar State Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and regulation of Trade) Act, 2012’. Sources said the Patna Municipal Corporation has also planned vending zones at around 12 places in the city.
The move to create vending zones has been hailed by many. “Inspection and audit officials from food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) regularly pay us a surprise visit to check for adulteration, contamination and preparation of fast food. We have nothing to worry as hygiene is our top priority. FSSAI officials also inspect our kiosk regularly,” said Om Prakash of a popular fast food kiosk at Maurya Lok Complex.
While the survey may not be a matter of concern for the likes of Prakash, it might come as a blow to hawkers who are operating in the street food sector without obtaining a licence from FSSAI.
Durga Das, a bhelpuri vendor near Dak Bungalow road, said such a move is against small and poor vendors whose survival depends on daily sales of local delicacies like chat, bhelpuri and golgappas etc. “My family of six is dependent on my bhelpuri business. If the government wants to rehabilitate us claiming that we sell unhygienic food, we should also be given an alternate source of livelihood,” said Durga.
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