How do illegal food stalls get cylinders, HC asks BMC chief

The Bombay High Court on Monday pulled up the BMC for failing to initiate action against hawkers and roadside food stalls, which continue to cook and sell food in the open. The court has asked civic chief Ajoy Mehta to explain as to how these stalls procure cylinders to cook food on the streets.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla slammed the civic body for not acting against such stalls which continue to breach the October 2015 orders of the bench, wherein road-side cooking was banned.

The judges were hearing a petition filed by the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association, seeking a direction to the BMC to act against unauthorised and illegal hawkers, who cook and sell food on streets. The petition cited the judgment delivered by Justice Oka in October 2015 wherein he had banned roadside cooking of food.

The judges had then asked the civic body to ensure that not a single illegal food stall, which has come up after May 2014, is allowed to operate on the streets. The order had also clarified that neither legal nor illegal stalls are allowed to cook food.

During the course of hearing on Monday, the civic body tendered an affidavit. The affidavit blames the hotel association for ‘conveniently’ not adding the companies, which

provide cylinders, as a party to the petition.

Irked by this, the judges said, “You (BMC) cannot run away from your responsibility and blame the petitioners for not adding the companies as a party. We fail to understand as to how electricity and cylinders are provided to such unauthorised food stalls.”

“We expect the civic chief to explain this issue to us since he is the authority that deals with companies that provide gas cylinders and electricity to illegal food stalls,” the judges added.

The matter has accordingly been adjourned till March 19.