Eateries lined along Manek Chowk with tables and chairs dotting the night jaunt for foodies is almost an iconic image associated with Ahmedabad. However, not for long, if the city police decides to go ahead with its recent review to discontinue setting up tables and chairs for customers. Food vendors operating at the address (with valid license) for as long as 65 years, have been left with no choice but to arrange floor seating. A tarpaulin sheet is now the makeshift arrangement till the administration clarifies the situation.
However, customers are finding sitting on the ground immensely uncomfortable. “This has hit our business. We have always been here and have valid permits. How can the police suddenly take away our livelihood? Many customers have placed an order only to cancel when told to sit on the floor. Some genuinely cannot squat because of age while others are loathe to the dust from passers-by settling on their food,” shared the disgruntled food vendors.
Amdavadi Ankit Bajaj while waiting his order, shared: “This is ridiculous. Night food bazaars across the world allow tables and chairs. There must be some logic to any rule. We are asked to keep our shoes at one side but the level of footwear and plate is all the same now.”
Echoing similar sentiment, a group of college students also pointed out that the Manek Chowk eateries are an affordable and reliable option. “Food is always fresh and there is no surcharge. Plus, some of us are not used to sitting on the floor and eating. The rule will only erode the entire place away,” they voiced.
For “Kailash Bhaji Pav” owner Mahavir Soni, the order has robbed him of nearly 40% of the daily earnings. “We hope the civic authorities reconsider the decision. Manek Chowk is a living heritage,” he said.
Probing further led to the fact that the first license issued to a vendor in Manek Chowk was in 1960. “Now there are 42 official vendors and 30 unlicensed stalls. We all have been told orally by the police but are hoping for a reversal,” added another permit-holding vendor who did not wish to be named.
When asked for their response, DC, Sushilkumar Agarwal, briefed that the move was based on “complaints from local residents and shopkeepers that food stall owners had encroached a lot of space on the road.”
As he stated: “Local residents also complained that vendors leave no space, not even for the 108 ambulance or fire tenders, in case of any emergency. Jewellery shop owners in the vicinity also criticised that food stalls open even before the other stores down shutters for the day. This makes the area difficult to navigate for shoppers. However, as the place does have a heritage stamp, we are looking into an amicable resolve.”
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