After UP, Restaurants & Eateries in Himachal Asked to Display Names of Owners

New Delhi: In a move echoing the policy of Uttar Pradesh, restaurants and eateries in Himachal Pradesh will soon be required to display the names of their owners and staff. The decision comes from the Congress government in Himachal, reflecting a similar initiative undertaken by the Yogi Adityanath -led administration in Uttar Pradesh.

Reports indicate that the order has already been issued and is set to take effect in January. This timeframe is intended to allow establishments to make necessary preparations, including the issuance of identity cards for their staff.

Speaking to reporters,  Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh said,"We have decided to strictly enforce the rules in the state, much like Uttar Pradesh.  The Urban Development Ministry and the Municipal Corporation, in a meeting, collectively took this decision while taking into account people's fears and apprehensions about the availability of food at food stalls."

Yesterday, taking cognisance of incidents of spitting and mixing of urine in eatables in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed that the name and address of operators, proprietors and managers should be mandatorily displayed at all food centres. He also directed that chefs and waiters should wear masks and gloves, besides making installation of CCTV cameras in hotels and restaurants mandatory.

Addressing a high-level meeting, Adityanath said the presence of human waste in food items was disgusting and ordered strict action against those who adulterate food items with human waste or dirty things, an official statement said.

On September 12, a purported video showing a teenager spitting on rotis while preparing them at an eatery in Saharanpur district went viral on social media, leading to the arrest of the facility's owner.

Last week, a juice vendor in Ghaziabad district was arrested for allegedly serving fruit juices mixed with urine to customers. In June, two men were arrested in Noida for allegedly selling juice contaminated with their spits.

In view of such incidents, the chief minister has also given instructions for thorough investigation, verification of all hotels, dhabas, restaurants, and related establishments in the state.

Instructions were also given to amend the rules as per the need while ensuring the health safety of the general public.

Adiyanath said, "Dhabas, restaurants and food establishments should be thoroughly investigated and police verification of every employee should be done and necessary amendments should also be made in the Food Safety and Standards Act to ensure the purity and sanctity of food items." According to the statement, now it will be mandatory to display the name and address of the operator, proprietor, manager, etc. at the food centres.

"Now whether it is a chef or a waiter, they will have to wear masks and gloves and it will be mandatory to install CCTVs in hotels/restaurants," the chief minister said.

In the meeting, Adityanath said in recent times, incidents of adulteration of food items like juice, pulses and roti with human waste and dirty things have been seen in various parts of the country.

"Such incidents are gruesome and have an adverse effect on the health of the common man. Such efforts cannot be accepted at all," he said.

Concrete arrangements are necessary to prevent such incidents in Uttar Pradesh, he said, adding that by running a statewide intensive campaign, verification of all the employees working at food establishments, including their operators, should be done.

The chief minister said this action should be completed quickly by a joint team of Food Safety and Drug Administration, police and local administration.