Mayor launches Street Food Lane in Siliguri

Siliguri: Siliguri’s much-anticipated Street Food Lane was inaugurated by Mayor Gautam Deb. Located at Station Feeder (SF) Road, ‘‘Achenar Anondo’ (Joy of the Unknown), is the first-of-its-kind government project in Bengal, thereby adding a unique attraction to the city’s festive season.

The street food corner, featuring 20 stalls, was launched on Thursday night. Gautam Deb, during his inaugural speech, revealed future plans to create similar food corners in eight other locations across Siliguri. He emphasised: “This is the first time in Bengal that such a food corner has been established. This was an idea of the state government which SMC has successfully implemented. More such food corners will be made soon.”

The event was attended by a number of dignitaries, including Ranjan Sarkar, Deputy Mayor, Pratul Chakraborty, Chairman of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), Tulsi Pramanik, Chief Medical Health Officer (CMOH) and councillors. The project to convert SF Road into a street food lane began in 2023, funded by the state government. The construction of the food stalls was undertaken by Siliguri Municipal Corporation. Stall allotments were done through a lottery held recently, providing local shopkeepers with an opportunity to start their businesses at this newly developed space. The food stalls offer a wide variety of street delicacies, including vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, soft drinks and mocktails. On the first day, some shopkeepers even provided free food to visitors as a gesture of goodwill.

Sangita Das, a vendor selling momos, expressed her excitement and gratitude. “I am very excited and hopeful. Thanks to the SMC for giving us the opportunity to start up my business,” she said. Maintaining hygiene will be a priority, as borough number 4 will be responsible for the cleanliness of the stalls throughout the year. SMC has also announced a reward for three traders who uphold excellent hygiene standards.