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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Kanwar yatra: Meerut administration in UP asks eateries to display key information
Ahead of the annual Kanwar Yatra beginning on July 11, the Meerut district administration has mandated that all food joints along the Kanwar Yatra route prominently display critical information, including a list of food items and their prices. The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by Lord Shiva's devotees, known as kanwariyas, who fetch holy water from the Ganga during the auspicious Hindu month of Shravan. (FILE PHOTO) Divisional commissioner Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod said, 'The district administration is ensuring that a list of food items and their prices is displayed outside all food joints along the Kanwar Yatra route. This ensures Kanwariyas are not overcharged and can make informed choices.' The food safety department has been tasked with ensuring that all food joints display their mandatory food safety registration certificates, which include the owner's name and registration number. To further enhance accountability, each establishment must display a QR code that allows pilgrims to scan and access detailed information about the food joint's ownership and compliance status. 'This is being done to ensure Kanwariyas receive good quality and pure food during their journey,' Dr. Yashod added. The administration has warned that strict action will be taken against non-compliant businesses under Section 55 of the Food Safety Act, 2006, which could result in fines of up to ₹ 2 lakh. The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by Lord Shiva's devotees, known as kanwariyas, who fetch holy water from the Ganga during the auspicious Hindu month of Shravan. This holy water is then offered to Lord Shiva. The yatra draws millions of pilgrims to the region. Meanwhile, in neighbouring Uttarakhand, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and health minister Dhan Singh Rawat have directed the health department to implement a dedicated action plan to provide pure and safe food to devotees during the upcoming yatra, according to an official statement. In July 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government ordered hotels, restaurants, food carts and eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners. The Uttarakhand government also issued a similar direction, of installing nameplates on board across the Yatra route to facilitate the pilgrims. The Uttar Pradesh government's order came days after the Muzaffarnagar Police issued directives to all the eateries on the Yatra route to display the names of their respective owners to avoid any 'confusion'. The Supreme Court intervened and stayed the move, noting that there was no government order empowering the police to give directions in this case. The apex 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. The court stated that restaurants should indicate the type of food they serve but not be forced to display the names and identities of owners.
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Shopkeepers being asked to remove their pants: Owaisi slams UP over nameplate row
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over its last year's directive, asking eateries to display their owners' names on the Kanwar Yatra route in Muzaffarnagar, alleging that shopkeepers were being harassed and asked to remove their questioned why the Yogi Adityanath-led government was not following the Supreme Court's last year's interim order that paused its decision that instructed their owners to place boards outside the shops displaying their names and contact numbers on the Kanwar Yatra are many hotels near Muzaffarnagar bypass. These hotels have been there for years. Didn't the Kanwar Yatra start here 10 years ago? The Kanwar Yatra used to start peacefully. There was no unrest there. Why is all this happening now? Now, they are asking for Aadhaar cards from hoteliers. They are making shopkeepers remove their pants," he said. "The police should do their job and arrest those who are harassing shopkeepers. These people have created a spectacle. They are not even following the orders of the Supreme Court. How can they enter someone's hotel? Going to a hotel and asking someone's religion is wrong. Why isn't the government doing anything?" he July 22 last year, the Supreme Court issued an interim order, putting on hold guidelines that asked shopkeepers in Uttar Pradesh along Kanwar Yatra routes to display their names. The court said that owners would only display the kind of food served in their the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said the Uttar Pradesh government's directive was issued without any authority of law and called it a "camouflage order"."It is a camouflaged order for Kanwar Yatra. Violators will be fined if they do not show their names. We are talking about thousands of kilometres. The bulk of these shops are tea stalls and some belong to fruit shop owners. This is economic death," he had Supreme Court's order came after the Muzaffarnagar Police had directed all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names on display boards last year. Later, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government extended the order across the state. The Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh governments also followed move had invited a backlash, not only from the Opposition but also from some of the NDA allies, including Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Lok Dal.- Ends
