9 food, tea stalls booked in Pune for illegal gas cylinders, encroachment

The action covered stalls in Alankar, Nanded City and Yerawada, with owners served notices over fire risks and alleged use of public footpaths.

Pune : The Pune police on Sunday took action against nine roadside food- and tea- stalls for allegedly using gas cylinders, stoves and other combustible material without adequate safety measures; besides occupying public footpaths and roadside spaces.

Police also reported three cases in Yerawada, involving the alleged use of public footpaths and roadside spaces for commercial use. (Mahendra Kolhe/HT)

The police have issued notices under section 35 (3) to all the stall owners booked at the respective police stations.

Four cases have been registered at the Alankar police station; two at Nanded City; and three at Yerawada.

In the Alankar police station jurisdiction, police reported four violations.

In the first case, a dosa stall operating near Mrityunjay Mandir on Karve road, Kothrud, was found using flammable equipment and material for preparing food without taking necessary precautions against fire hazards.

In the second case, a tea stall, identified as Rajwadi tea centre near Mrityunjay Mandir on Karve road, Kothrud, was allegedly using a gas cylinder and an iron stove in a manner which police said could “pose a danger to human life”.

The third case was reported from a roadside location near Plot No 9 on Vitthal Mandir road, Karvenagar, where a food stall was allegedly using a gas cylinder for preparing food without appropriate safety arrangements.

The fourth case was reported near Tathawade Udyan, where a roadside tea stall was allegedly using a gas cylinder and stove in an unsafe manner that could “potentially cause harm to people and damage to property”.

Two similar cases were registered in the Nanded city police station also.

Both the establishments - Namaskar Paan shop near Swagat Hotel at Kirkatwadi, Haveli, and a food vendor in the same locality - were found to be using combustible material and equipment, which, according to police, could create a potential danger to human life.

Police also reported three cases in Yerawada, involving the alleged use of public footpaths and roadside spaces for commercial use. Of the three cases registered at Yerawada police station, one is against a tea stall near Kalyaninagar metro station bridge; the second against a roadside tea stall near Kumar City Society, Kalyaninagar; and the third against a tea stall opposite GST Bhavan on the road leading towards Yerawada.

According to the city police , the cases highlight two recurring problems - unsafe use of LPG cum combustible material by roadside food vendors and encroachment of public footpaths for commercial activity.

While the Alankar and Nanded city cases primarily concern the alleged unsafe use of combustible equipment, the Yerawada cases additionally involve the alleged occupation of pedestrian space, police said.

Following registration of the cases, police issued notices to the owners. “Further action against the operators would depend on the findings of the investigation and compliance with the notices,” a senior police officer told Hindustan Times.