Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will start removing carts selling eggs and non-vegetarian foods from the city’s roads on Tuesday, even as chief minister Bhupendra Patel has said that people are free to eat the food of their choice.
“The state government clearly believes that citizens are free to eat the food of their choice, but it is important the food must be hygienic. Any food carts that are creating obstructions to traffic or people can be removed,” he told reporters in reaction to the decision of some civic bodies to remove carts selling eggs and non-vegetarian food, adding the decision to remove carts selling eggs and non-vegetarian foods has been taken by municipalities and municipal corporations.
The statement comes even as the AMC has announced the eviction of such food carts off main roads and other public spaces from today claiming the sale of eggs and non-vegetarian food is hurting religious sentiments.
Devang Dani, chairman of AMC’s town planning committee, said the estate department has been directed to remove such food carts from the main roads. The food carts would be allowed to operate on internal roads but they would be required to cover the food materials and shouldn’t be visible from the main roads, Dani said. Moreover, carts operating near schools, religious places, and other public places would also be removed.
The issue is likely to threaten into a major controversy as the move threatens the livelihood of thousands of food cart owners in the city. The association of street vendors is likely to move court against the move, while Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh alleged the targeting of carts selling eggs and non-vegetarian food is to polarise voters. He also questioned if only such carts are responsible for traffic issues, and demanded the carts be removed only after providing them alternate space in hawking zones.