Vadodara, Gujarat, is said to be planning a campaign to penalise street hawkers who sell non-vegetarian food ‘openly.’ According to local reports, civic officials in Vadodara have been directed to ensure that food stalls do not ‘visibly’ sell non-vegetarian food; such stalls and carts must ensure that the meat is appropriately ‘covered.’ The rule will also apply to food carts selling egg-based products.
Vadodara’s reported move comes just days after the mayor of another city in Gujarat, Rajkot, issued an order limiting non-vegetarian food stalls to designated hawking zones and keeping them away from main roads.
In Vadodara, the instructions were reportedly given verbally by Hitendra Patel, the chairperson of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation standing committee. While local reports indicate some confusion about how Patel’s orders are to be carried out, a publication quoted him as saying, “I instructed that all food stalls, especially those selling non-vegetarian food such as fish, meat, and eggs, should ensure that the food is well covered for hygiene reasons. They should also be removed from main roads where they could cause traffic snarls.”
“They must ensure that no non-vegetarian food is visible to passers-by.” It has something to do with our religious beliefs. For years, it may have been common to sell non-vegetarian food on full display, but the time has come to change that,” Patel was quoted as saying.