Uttarakhand’s diktat for eateries on Kanwar Yatra route: Display licence, registration or face closure

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.

“Every food vendor must prominently display a clean copy of their licence or registration certificate on their premises for consumers to see. Small vendors and hawkers must also carry and display a photo identity card and registration certificate. Hotels, eateries, dhabas, and restaurants must install a clearly visible ‘Food Safety Display Board’ so that customers know who is responsible for food quality,” said a government statement. Those failing to comply will face action under section 55 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which includes a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh.

The yatra is scheduled to start on July 11.

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. The apex court noted 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.

Health Secretary Dr R Rajesh Kumar told The Indian Express that the licence needs to be exhibited prominently. “The photograph and the application with which the vendor applied for the licence is to be pasted outside. The name of the vendor need not be mentioned separately,” he said.

Kumar said the mandate was for better transparency. “We are issuing the order by complying with the Supreme Court directions. Our mandate is that the name of the shop, the licence, and registration certificates be displayed prominently. 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.

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.