During the holy month of Ramadan, as hungry crowds made their way to Fraser Town to feast on some delicious snacks, a group of policemen dispelled the streetside stalls set-up in the locality. The action taken by the BBMP in lieu of a ban called by the Fraser Town Residents’ Welfare Association in Bengaluru, stated concerns over hygiene conditions, noise pollution and a lack of parking space as crowds showed up from all over the city to sample dishes like Haleem, seekh kebab, mutton samosas and patthar ka gosht.
Religious boundaries aside, the parts of Mosque Road and MM Road that hosted these makeshift eateries in the evening, attracted a footfall of almost 2 lakh people during the month preceding Eid. While most residents of the city have been returning disappointed on not being able to revisit their favourite spots, reports mention that policemen have been patrolling the area on a regular basis to discourage any new stalls from popping up. In addition to the issues raised by the residents’ association members, complaints about large piles of garbage being left behind once the stalls wrapped up were also part of the key reasons for the shut down.
Also Read:
Questions were also raised about the licensing issues and quality control of the food being served at these joints, while also highlighting how their occupation of footpaths and operating beyond permissible hours was a nuisance. Alleged claims were also made about the public consumption of alcohol by visitors of these stalls, who would then cause street fights or harass women – putting public safety in a tandem.