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Gujarat HC Reprimands Civic Body For Seizure Of Food Carts Without Official Order
Writer: Ratika Rana
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India, 10 Dec 2021 9:23 AM GMT
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Creatives : Ratika Rana
Her primary objective is to inform, promote, educate and cultivate readers through writing.
The counsel of the street food vendors informed the Court that AMC seized the carts without any official order. The civic body's decision was based on the municipal bodies of Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar and Junagadh.
After 25 street food vendors approached the Gujarat High Court against the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for seizing the carts that sold non-vegetarian items, the High Court asked the civic body to release the carts. The High Court asked the AMC to consider the cases 'expeditiously' if the petitioners approached them within 24 hours of having released their goods. The High Court questioned the government on how could it decide what a person ate outside.
Mayor Had Said That Non-Veg Would Hurt Religious Sentiments
Justice Biren Vaishnav said, "You don't like non-veg food; that is your lookout. How can you decide what I eat outside? Call the Corporation Commissioner and ask him what is he doing. Tomorrow they will say that I cannot have sugarcane juice because it causes diabetes. Or coffee (because it) is bad for health?", as reported by The Financial Express. The counsel of the street food vendors, Ronith Joy, informed the Court that AMC seized the carts without any official order. The civic body's decision was based on the municipal bodies of Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar and Junagadh. Joy further mentioned that the Rajkot Mayor had previously said that carts selling non-vegetarian food would hurt religious sentiments.
Govt Counsel Cites Encroachment As The Reason
The High Court had taken up the matter in the first session, but the Judges asked AMC counsel to present his case in the second half. Advocate Satyam Chhaya, representing the civic body, said that the petition arose because of a misconception and that AMC does not plan to remove all non-vegetarian food carts. Further, she said that the reason for seizing the carts was an encroachment on the roads, blocking the traffic and causing hindrance or complete blockage of the pedestrian path.
The Justice questioned whether the clearance drive was taken up under the guise of targeting the food sellers. Moreover, he asked the government counsel to ensure that the Corporation Commissioner was present in the matter's next hearing.
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