Grant licences to roadside food vans, HC tells MCD

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the MCD to immediately grant licences to a group of catering van owners, as per its earlier order, to let them run roadside eateries in Dwarka.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the MCD to immediately grant licences to a group of catering van owners, as per its earlier order, to let them run roadside eateries in Dwarka.

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Justice Hima Kohli also directed the DDA to allot proper sites for the 'eatery-on-wheels' owners to park their vans. The single judge bench passed the order after six van owners alleged that the civic agency has failed to comply with the court's February 3 order for issuing them licences in two weeks.

They also alleged the DDA has failed to allot the sites properly as some sites are near the public toilets and not suitable to run their roadside eatery business.

The civic agency, meanwhile, informed the court that a draft policy on granting licences for running roadside eateries in vans has been prepared and the court asked the agency to place it on record by April 30.

In February, the court had set up a nodal agency, comprising MCD commissioner, DDA vice-chairman, NDMC chairman and the Police Commissioner and had asked them to frame the policy for the caterers.

The court was hearing a bunch of petitions by catering vans owners of Dwarka, filed through counsel Manjit Singh Ahluwalia. In their pleas they had said they were once stationed in various markets but were later ordered by MCD, DDA and Delhi Police to shift elsewhere on allegations that they caused traffic congestion.

They had said they have been suffering losses due to lack of uniform policy for them.