Uttarakhand moves to stop 'spitting' in food, issues norms for eateries

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar on Wednesday issued directives to tighten food safety across the state following reports of food tampering and adulteration, which have endangered public health and caused unrest. Hotel, restaurant, and dhaba owners have been ordered to verify all employees and install CCTV cameras in their kitchens to ensure hygienic food preparation. Local police, working with the health and food safety department, have been tasked with carrying out random inspections of food establishments .

In addition, the local intelligence unit (LIU) has been told to monitor street food vendors and initiate legal action under BNS section 274 against anyone found tampering with food or drink intended for sale. Further legal action, under sections 196(1) and 299, will be pursued if anyone is found spitting in food or inciting enmity between groups based on religion, race, or language. As per the new guidelines, dhabas, hotels, and restaurants serving meat must clearly indicate whether it is halal or jhatka.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami supported the DGP's directives by sharing them on social media. "Such acts have no place in Uttarakhand. Public health and trust must be protected, and we will ensure that those responsible face severe consequences," he said. Speaking to TOI, the CM added, "Uttarakhand is known as Devbhoomi, and its reputation is built on trust. Incidents like these damage public confidence, and we will not allow them to continue."

Following Dhami's orders, the health secretary and the Food Safety and Drug Administration department commissioner, Dr R Rajesh Kumar, issued a detailed SOP outlining penalties ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh for violators. Kumar mentioned recent contamination cases with unsanitary substances in food and beverages, which have surfaced in different parts of the state. He stressed that food businesses must comply with hygiene standards and obtain the licences as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.