A day after South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Mayor Anamika said that Health licence is crucial to ensure hygiene standards of the restaurants premises and safety of visitors, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that restaurants contributes to Delhi economy in a big way facing harassment due to license raj.
The chief minister appealed all the government to work together to remove harassment being faced by the hotel and restaurant industry due to trade license issued by municipal Corporations.
Kejriwal said that central government body FSSAI has directed Corporations to stop issuing food licenses. "I hope MCDs will comply soon with Centres directions," he said.
"Restaurants contribute to Delhi economy & taxes in a big way. They face harassment due to license raj. All govts should work together to remove harassment. Centre govt body FSSAI has directed MCDs to stop issuing food licenses. I hope MCDs will comply soon with Centres directions," he tweeted.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled municipal corporations of running “license-Raj”.
AAP MLA and spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj had attacked the municipal corporations for continuing to issue health trade licenses to restaurant owners despite being asked by the Delhi and central government to stop doing so. His statement came in reaction to a letter purportedly sent by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to the commissioner of the three Corporations.
"It's amazing that the BJP ruled Municipal Corporations have come out openly in favour of corruption. Municipal Corporations are even following the order of the centre. When the centre and Delhi government both want to end food trade license then what are the compulsions?," he tweeted in Hindi.