Act against illegal ‘Shiv Vada Pav’ stalls: HC tells MCGM

Mumbai, Aug 22 (PTI) The Bombay High Court today directedthe Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to initiateaction against all illegal ‘Shiv Vada Pav’ stalls across thecity within three months. A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur andJustice M S Sonak was hearing a public interest litigationfiled by NGO Janseva Mandal. The petitioner alleged that there are over 250 ‘Shiv VadaPav’ stalls across the megapolis, which are operating withoutlicense and cooking food in the open. The petition pointed out that a recent High Court orderhad banned cooking in illegal stalls and carts in the city, asit was not permissible under the Food Safety rules. The bench directed the civic body to take action againstall those stalls which are operating without license from theconcerned authority and submit a compliance report after 12weeks. As per the plea, in 1995, the Maharashtra governmentlaunched a scheme named ‘Zunkha Bhakar Kendra’, to providewholesome food at subsidised rates to the people. The scheme was dropped in 2000 due to blatant misuseby stall operators. The same year, a new scheme titled ‘ShivVadapav’ was floated, but was not approved. Even then, thestalls and carts mushroomed across the city, the PIL claimed. The petition sought directions to MCGM to remove allsuch illegal ‘Shiv Vada Pav’ stalls. PTI SP NRBDVRYS