Uttarakhand mandates food licence display for Kanwar Yatra vendors
Action will be taken against those who do not follow these instructions under Section 55 of the Food Safety Act 2006, in which a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh can be imposed
Ahead of the Kanwar Yatra, the Uttarakhand government has mandated that food vendors display their licence or registration certificates for shops on the yatra route.
Action will be taken against businessmen who do not follow these instructions under Section 55 of the Food Safety Act 2006, in which a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh can be imposed.
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Diktat to shopkeepers
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat on Tuesday (July 2) announced that the move was to enforce a “stringent and dedicated action plan to ensure that lakhs of devotees receive clean and safe food”.
Secretary of Health and Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Dr R Rajesh Kumar, said that all hotels, dhabas, food stalls, and vendors along the yatra route have been issued mandatory guidelines.
Small traders and cart-stall owners will also have to keep and display their registration certificates with them. Shops that do not follow the order will also have to face closure.
Display boards
"Food Safety Display Board should also be installed in hotels, eateries, dhabas and restaurants at a clearly visible place, so that the customer can know who is responsible for the quality of food," said a government statement.
All officials concerned should ensure that these orders are strictly followed, the health secretary said. There will be no compromise with the quality of food served to devotees at pandals and community kitchens or bhandaras, he said.
"Immediate legal action will be taken against adulterators and those who tamper with the standards. The health of the pilgrims is our top priority," he further noted.
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Supreme court order
The yatra is scheduled to begin on July 11. The health secretary said the instructions have been issued for better transparency as there would be more yatris this year compared to the last.
“We are issuing the order by complying with the Supreme Court directions. This is just a case of transparency, as we are expecting around 7 crore Kanwar Yatris this year, as compared to 4 crore last year. In such a case, law and order are of utmost importance, and the Food Department is taking the relevant measures,” he said.
In 2024, after the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments had mandated that vendors must display their nameplates, the Supreme Court intervened and stayed the move noting that there was no government order empowering the police to give directions in this case.
In its order, the court observed that such directions could be issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 or the Street Vendors Act, 2014, to ensure “shudh shakahari” (strictly vegetarian) food is served to the Kanwar Yatris.
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Food safety mandate
Special teams of food safety officers have been deployed in the districts of Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, and Uttarkashi to collect samples of milk, sweets, oil, spices, beverages, and other items from camps and send them to laboratories for testing.
If any sample fails to meet the standards, the respective site will be shut down immediately. Offenders involved in adulteration or violating regulations will face financial penalties and criminal action.
Each district is required to send daily reports of the actions taken to the state government.
Senior officers have been given the responsibility of monitoring the implementation, and any negligence at any level will result in strict action against the officials, said the statement.