Despite the Delhi Government ordered ban on Nestlé India’s Maggi for 15 days in the national Capital, it is still available at some eating points at ITO, just a kilometre away from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office.
On Wednesday, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain had said that any shop keeper if found selling Maggi during the ban period, will be dealt with sternly. However, the ban has failed to deter the
shopkeepers and restaurant owners from selling and serving Maggi to the customers.
The Pioneer on Friday did a reality check and found that while Maggi has vanished from kitchen shelves, it still can be found stocked in many shops. Store owners claimed their stocks have not been withdrawn by Nestle representatives yet. However, retail stores chains such as Reliance Fresh, FairPrice in Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Rajinder Nagar and Central Delhi have recalled their stocks.
Fully aware of the fact that sale of Maggi is banned, a shopowner at ITO said that he will continue to sell it. He said: “Agar log mangege toh mein dunga, hamein kamana hai. (If people will ask for Maggi, I will give them
Maggi. After all, I am here to earn money).”
Another shopkeeper in Inderpuri, Sonu (name changed), said he had sold over 30 packets of Maggi noodles till Friday morning. He said that “log toh itne saal se Maggi kha rahe hai, tab kuch nahi hua, toh ab kya hoga. (People have been eating Maggi for decades. If it did not harm people in the past, then there is no harm in eating Maggi now).”
“I have contacted the officials of the other noodle brands, as I have seen a huge decline in my income,” said Swaroop, who has a grocery store at Gole Market, who has cleared his Maggi stock.
Some shopkeepers claimed that when they approached the Maggi suppliers to withdraw the existing stock from them, they said that the officials will take back the stock only after 15 days. According to them, Maggi officials are waiting for the final announcement from the Government.
At “Maggi Point” near Delhi University at North campus, sale of Maggi has dipped but noodles remain a favourite. Ramu, a shopowner prepares Maggi for those who are willing to eat it. Despite repeated calls to the office of Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, he could not be reached for a comment.