Noida Authority board is all hailing and smiling, for its few recent moves have brought a smile on the faces of locals. When Suket Kumar Singh, an employee of a private firm based in Noida learnt mobile food vans are once again being allowed on the city roads, his happiness knew no bound. Apparently, a foodie, he was facing a real hard time once these food vans were disallowed for the dishes being prepared in grubby conditions. But, like others he has got a reason to rejoice after the NA board showed a green signal to the stationing of mobile vans near schools, institutions and corporate houses. As decided in the 158th meeting of NA board, food vans will also be allowed to set up shop in residential and industrial corners of the city.

On the exciting comeback of his favourite food van, Suket said,” I was missing its spicy Hakka chowmein, veg manchurian and those tasty chicken momos for long, but finally I can spice up my taste buds to savour all these in few days to come and will soon enjoy a sabbatical from the conventional ghar ka khaana. As soon as I found out mobile food vans will be back on the city roads, I started drawing my wishlist.”

Whether food vans will be parked at the same location is a matter of free will of the van owners, as they are given the right to decide strategic locations of their makeshift outlets. Such mobile vans will be set up across the city as per the need and demand of the area. However, NA has taken the task of ensuring disruption-free placement of mobile vans earnestly. Owners should station their mobile food joint at a place where it doesn’t disrupt traffic or cause inconvenience to public. Mobile van owners would be required to pay Rs 120 per square meter as fee to NA. As per the plan, these vehicles will be leased out for a period of 12 months and will be subject to renewals only twice.

With this major grant, many food buffs would now snap the opportunity to lovingly lighten their wallets and savor their favorites within a reasonable price range.

Though allowing food vans on streets has made many happy, there are few who still think NA ahould reconsider its decision. According to Shikha Garg, an employee of a Noida-based firm, “I used to see my friends having food from one of such mobile van, prepared in extremely unhygienic conditions, it was a house of flies and mosquitoes.Imagine, you pay money and share your food with surrounding flies and mosquitoes, how dreadful?. I think it is always better to spend few hundreds more and take lunch from a hygienic place. These food vans are a breeding place for deadly diseases”. Criticizing this recent decision of NA board, many feel it is as bad as giving people a right to take drugs. “Either put stringent laws at place, for keeping hygiene and cleanliness up standard or do not bring such vans in surroundings”, claimed Shikha.

Mobile food vans have already divided people in two groups, which side do you favour? What do you think allowing mobile food vans once again on the city roads is a matter of joy or a concern?

NOIDA: A manager and an assistant manager of a five-star hotel in Noida were arrested on Tuesday night for “shouting at and threatening to kill”
a group of guests after they complained about finding a human hair in their food. Reportedly, one of the four guests was a senior IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Revealing this, Noida superintendent of police (city) Ashok Tripathi said, “Four persons were having a meal at the hotel in Sector 18 around 11 pm. While eating, they noticed a hair in the dal. They complained about it to the restaurant staff. However, manager Gyan Prakash and assistant manager Vibhu Wadhawa shouted at them, threatening to kill them if they stayed at the counter any longer. But the area police reached the spot before things could worsen.”

Tripathi added, “The waiters were alright. But, the executive staff misbehaved with the guests to such an extent that we had to arrest the two.”

The two hotel officials spent the night in the Sector 20 police station lock-up and were granted bail on Wednesday morning.

According to the police, an arrest under Section 151 of the CrPC applies when there is a real danger of the accused committing a cognizable offence. Meanwhile, hotel officials could not be contacted for comment.

source : TOI