Hours after he was summoned to Delhi and rebuked by Congress over the controversial order, Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh said on Thursday that his government is not stopping anyone from doing business; he is just asking them to register.
"We have not stopped anyone from doing business in Himachal, but have asked people to register. Anyone can come to Himachal, no one is stopped. Himachal has its own identity, Uttar Pradesh has its own. We are working in our state," he said.
Earlier in the day, Vikramaditya Singh was summoned by the Congress for issuing the order mandating food outlets across the state to display the name and address of their owners. After the order was issued, the Congress came under fire on social media as well as within the party over the move as it had criticised the similar move by the Uttar Pradesh government during the Kanwar Yatra a few weeks back.
As per the order, the shopkeepers in Himachal Pradesh will have to display their identity cards at their shops. Vikramaditya Singh told reporters that the decision was taken considering "apprehensions" expressed by several locals about rising number of migrants in the state.
"We have decided to make it mandatory for the street vendors to display their ID cards given by the street vendor's committee," he said.
The ID cards would be given on the pattern adopted by the Uttar Pradesh government, which pioneered the idea, sparking a wide-ranging controversy.
Street vendors, especially those selling food items, will also be checked for hygiene and quality by the food supplies department, the minister said.
On Friday, in pursuance of a decision taken by the house on September 10, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania constituted a seven-member committee headed by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan for the framing of a policy for 'Street Vendors.'
