BMC issues new laws and warns street food vendors

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation is aware that many food establishments operate on the side of the road without enough parking and without following proper sanitation procedures.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) tightened the noose around the capital city’s street food sellers on Friday by requiring them to provide parking space for their patrons there.

Additionally, the city’s civic authority has mandated sanitation upkeep for all food vendors.

In establishing new, more stringent rules for Bhubaneswar’s roadside eateries, the BMC stated: “Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has got to know that a considerable number of food outlets are operating on the side of the road without having enough parking facilities and sanitary regulations. Due of severe sanitary risks and traffic congestion, their customers are compelled to eat while parked on the road. Both residents and commuters are experiencing problems as a result of this.

All roadside food establishments and their vendor organisations are required to follow the following rules, according to the BMC.

1. No food establishment shall be located near a sidewalk, a road, or a drain.
2. Restaurants that don’t have enough parking for patrons’ cars shouldn’t offer food right away. They should only choose to have their food delivered online or taken home.
3. Food establishments with the necessary parking spaces must adhere to BMC sanitation regulations and maintain twin trash bins in their establishments, separate trash for door-to-door collection, and tidy a 5-meter radius around their location on their own.
4. The employees of food establishments are required to dress neatly and appropriately, including a face mask, clean apron, hand gloves, and headgear, and to serve the food in a hygienic way.

5. The eateries must adhere to and uphold all food safety principles.
6. BMC has classified certain areas as “No Vending Zones,” meaning that no food outlets are permitted to operate there.

Any deviation from these guidelines will be taken seriously, and the BMC will take all necessary steps to punish the shop, close it down, revoke its trade licence, and seize any vehicles that are being illegally parked on the road.