Ahmedabad: Street vendors fear losing livelihood, CM Patel says 'no problem with non-veg food but...'
Highlights
- Civic body bans street carts selling non-veg food in Ahmedabad.
- Street vendors say the decision is illogical.
- CM Patel says selling non-veg food not a problem, but hygiene should be maintained.
Ahmedabad ban on non-veg street food: The Ahmedabad municipal corporation's decision to ban sale of non-veg food on city's streets has the vendors worrying about their livelihood.
Questioning the move, street food cart owners said the crackdown on them makes no sense as they pointed out that sale of non-veg food was allowed in restaurants and hotels across the city.
"How does it make sense to ban us and allow hotels. Won't the smell (of non-veg food) come from there?" news agency ANI quoted Rakesh, a street vendor in Ahmedabad, as saying.
Not only non-veg food sellers, but Ahmedabad civic body's 'irrational' directive has also resulted in trouble for other vendors too. "I've learnt about the ban on egg carts, but I'm a sandwich seller and my cart was also taken," fast food vendor Sundar told ANI.
CM Patel says 'no problem with non-veg food'
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has said the state government has no problem with different food habits of people. However, Patel said, action can be taken against street food carts that are selling 'unhygienic' food or if they are obstructing traffic on city roads.
"Some people eat vegetarian food, some people eat non-vegetarian food, the BJP government does not have any problem with it. There have been demands to remove particular 'larries' (carts) from the road. Our only concern is that, the food sold from food carts should not be unhygienic," Patel said, addressing a BJP programme at Bandhani village in Anand district.
The CM said local civic bodies take decisions on removing food carts if they hamper road traffic.
"Local municipal corporations or municipalities take decisions to remove food carts. They can do so if they are obstructing traffic on city roads," CM Patel said.
(With inputs from PTI)
