Soon, KMC to offer registration to street food vendors

Kolkata: In a giant stride to ensure the safety of street food in the city, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to offer registration certificates to street food vendors.

"We will fix up guidelines for these food vendors for following proper hygienic practices. They will have to adhere to these for getting registered. The food vendors will be benefitted as once they get registered, no one will be able to evict them," member Mayor-in-Council (Health) Atin Ghosh said.

KMC will conduct a workshop with 50 street food vendors at Uttam Mancha on September 13. "They will be trained by the Bureau of Indian Standards," Ghosh added.

After the training process, KMC will be monitoring the activities of these vendors by conducting surprise visits and if they are found to be abiding by the safety standards, certificates will be granted.

Street food in Kolkata, with phuchkas and aloo chats being the primary attractions, are a hit among citizens and outsiders as they are cheap and easily available. A large section of students and office-goers gorge street food on a regular basis.

"We want to make street food safe in the city. It has been our focus to ensure that street food vendors maintain a standard of hygiene so that customers do not have to be suspicious of the quality of food offered," Ghosh said.

KMC is also formulating guidelines to ensure cleanliness and hygienic practice on the part of street food vendors based on the recommendations of Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

A KMC official said that use of safe, potable running water will be a key measure to be taken up and the guidelines are being worked out since water that is unsafe for consumption cause a variety of diseases. The vendors must also ensure proper garbage disposal and scientific handling of food.