Street vendors in Bengaluru have to undergo a training programme organised by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to promote safe and clean street food.
According to BBMP officials, street vendors have to undergo mandatory training and receive certification for the same. The initiative will be implemented zone wise. The BBMP said the initiative will be launched once the survey of street vendors is completed in all the zones of Bengaluru.
Muralidhar K., Deputy Commissioner (Welfare), told The Hindu, “The initiative is being taken up as per the new guidelines of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) where an FSSAI team will train street vendors on the safe parameters to be followed while preparing food. Those without the FSSAI certification will not be allowed to vend.”
“The vendors will be given extensive training, which includes how to tie up with online food ordering and delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato. This increases their presence. Customers can rate and review them on the app so people will know which street vendors provide safe and clean food,” Mr Muralidhar K. explained.
BBMP officials said that the survey of street food vendors has already begun in a few zones in Bengaluru.
S. Babu, president of Bengaluru Urban District Street Vendors’ Federation, said that while the conditions under FSSAI are stringent for street food vendors, it is a good move as it is in the interest of public health.
“Many food vendors are not aware of cleanliness and food safety. Hence, this training programme will help create awareness about food safety. The BBMP should not just train and leave it at that. They have to follow up with vendors on how they are implementing what they have learnt during the training programme,” Mr Babu told The Hindu.
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