'Policy Not Formulated Yet': Himachal Distances Itself From Vikramaditya Singh's UP-Like Order To Display Names On Eateries

The Congress government of Himachal Pradesh has distanced itself from Minister Vikramaditya Singh's announcement to make it mandatory for eateries and food stalls across the state to display the owner's ID card.

A government spokesperson said that the Sukhu government has not made any decision regarding the mandatory display of nameplates or any other form of identification by the vendors at their stalls.

"The government is committed to addressing the issues related to street vendors and will consider all suggestions thoughtfully before making a decision," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

It was reported earlier that the central leadership of the Congress has summoned Singh to Delhi and reprimanded him and instructed to refrain from making any further controversial statements on the issue.

Singh is Public Works and Urban Development Minister and son of six-time Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. His remarks were welcomed by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Himachal government has formed a committee, led by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan and consisting of both Congress and BJP legislators, to review the street vendors' policy.

Committee members include Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, and MLAs Anil Sharma, Satpal Satti, Randhir Sharma, and Harish Janartha.

The spokesperson noted that feedback from various societal groups has been received, and all aspects of the policy are being thoughtfully reviewed.

The committee will assess the suggestions before submitting its recommendations to the state government, with the final decision only being made after careful cabinet deliberation.

Speaking to The Indian Express from Delhi, Vikramaditya Singh clarified that his comments were made in his capacity as Urban Development Minister, not as a member of the committee on street vendors' policy.

He further added, "The committee has not yet formulated a policy. My statement about requiring owners at eateries and food stalls to display IDs was based on guidelines from the Supreme Court and certain high courts."

Vikramaditya's earlier announcement came a day after the Uttar Pradesh government mandated food outlets across the state to display the names and addresses of operators, proprietors, and managers.