Himachal Pradesh orders eateries to display names of owners

The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday issued an order requiring the owners of all restaurants and food stalls in the state to display their names and identification cards.

This came a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath directed eateries in the state to prominently display the names and addresses of their operators, proprietors and managers.

On Wednesday, Vikramaditya Singh, Himachal Pradesh’s minister for public works department and urban development, said the state government had issued a similar order “for the convenience of customers”.

“We held a meeting with the urban development and the municipal corporation,” Singh was quoted as saying by ANI. “To make sure that hygienic food is sold, a decision has been taken for all the street vendors...especially those selling edible items.”

He said the decision was made after “people expressed their concerns and doubts”.

The announcement came after a meeting of a seven-member committee formed to frame a policy on street vendors, reported The Indian Express.

The committee was constituted by Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania against the backdrop of communal tensions pertaining to Shimla’s Sanjauli mosque. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Vishva Hindu Parishad have claimed that the mosque has been constructed illegally.

The tensions were triggered by a fight between two shopkeepers from different communities and led to Hindutva groups...

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