Mumbai: State, BMC sing different tunes on food truck rules

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While both the civic body and the state government are trying to make Mumbai 24x7 a success, they seem to be on different pages when it comes to policies on the project. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has drafted a Food Truck policy, which remains different from the guidelines given by the state.

While BMC's policy disallows seating area near the truck due to hygiene concerns, the state's guidelines had said otherwise. While the state had allowed trucks to operate only between 10 pm and 6 am, BMC's draft has allowed timings under the Shops and Establishment Act, which allows 24x7 operations.

Further, cooking inside vans has been disallowed; operators may use only microwaves or induction stoves. The food truck operators will be classified not as eating houses but under 'Food Truck Preparation and Sale of Eatables' and will be issued licences under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act. Operators will have to obtain an FSSAI licence and clearances from the fire brigade and the RTO.

Focusing on healthy food, a committee consisting of deputy municipal commissioners, an assistant commissioner, a deputy executive health officer and a deputy fire officer will give preference to trucks serving healthy, Indian food. Food that includes artificial colouring won't get preference. Each ward in the city will have three to five spots, with each spot having maximum five food trucks. Permission for a particular spot will be given for three years.

Executive health officer Padmaja Keskar said that the draft is currently with the BMC commissioner. Next, it will be sent to the Group Leaders, then passed in the Corporation. "If the policy mentions that the timing is according to the Shops and Establishment Act, then the trucks may operate 24X7. But the state government has the powers to restrict the timings," said an official on condition of anonymity.

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