Next to the Kanwar Yatra, the Uttarakhand government has said that the food sellers display their license or registration certificate for the shops on the journey route. The Chief Minister’s office said that shops would be closed without this demonstration.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat on Tuesday announced that the move to ensure that millions of devotees get clean and safe food to implement the tough and dedicated action plan “. Communications said that the government would also launch a comprehensive surveillance campaign to monitor food security.
Secretary of Health and Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar said that compulsory guidelines have been issued to all hotels, Dhabas, food stalls and travel along with travel.
“Every food vendor should showcase a clean copy of their license or registration certificate in their premises to see consumers. Small vendors and hawkers must also carry and display a photo identity card and registration certificate. Hotels, eateries, stains, and restaurants will have to install a clear ‘food security display’, so that the customers know who is responsible for the food quality. People who fail to comply to compliance will face action under Section 55 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh.
The journey is scheduled to begin on 11 July.
In 2024, the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments said that the vendors would have to display their nameplates, the Supreme Court intervened and stopped the move. The apex court said that there was no government order to empower the police to give direction in the case. In its order, the court noticed that such instructions could be issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 or Street Vendors Act, 2014, to ensure that “Shud Shakhari” (strictly vegetarian) food is served to Kanwar Yatris.
Health Secretary Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar told The Indian Express that the license needs to be displayed prominently. He said, “The picture with which the license has been applied is to be pasted out. The seller’s name should not be mentioned separately.”
Kumar said that the mandate was for better transparency. “We are issuing orders by complying with the instructions of the Supreme Court. Our mandate is that the name of shop, license, and registration certificates is prominently displayed. It is just a matter of transparency, because we are expecting about 7 crore Kanwar Yatris compared to 4 crores this year.
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Special teams of food safety officers have been deployed to collect samples of milk, sweets, oils, spices, beverages and other items in Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri, Pyari, and Uttarkashi districts and sent to laboratories for testing. If any sample fails to meet the standards, the concerned site will be immediately closed. Criminals involved in adulteration or violation rules will face financial penalty and criminal action.
Each district needs to send a daily report to the state government. The statement said that senior officials have been given the responsibility of monitoring the implementation, and strict action will be taken against the officials as a result of any negligence at any level.
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