Ghaziabad: Shop owners along the Kanwar yatra route in the district will have to prominently display their names and food safety licence details as part of measures to ensure hygienic food for pilgrims, officials said. The district administration said the requirement is intended to improve transparency and strengthen compliance with food safety regulations.Assistant commissioner of food safety Suresh Mishra said all food establishments on the yatra route must display the owner’s name along with relevant licensing information. He clarified that the requirement is part of the department’s efforts to verify compliance with food safety regulations and make information about licensed establishments easily accessible to consumers.The four key yatra routes — spanning Modinagar-Kadrabad-Ghaziabad-Delhi, Gangnahar-Gyani Border-Muradnagar-Tila Mod-Loni, Chhijarsi-Pilukhwa-Sector 62, and Noida-Partapur-DME-Ghazipur — stretch for more than 70 kilometres across Ghaziabad.“Nine food safety teams have been constituted and are currently being trained in sanitation, hygiene and food safety protocols. These teams will serve as the first responders in the event of any food-related complaints or emergencies involving Kanwar pilgrims during the yatra,” the official said.The food safety department is also introducing a digital verification system to improve transparency. “QR codes will be pasted at food establishments along the route and linked to the Food Safety Connect app. By scanning the code, consumers will be able to access details such as the food business operator’s registration or licence number, the name of the establishment, the owner’s name, address, mobile number and email ID,” Mishra said.Mishra said the initiative is designed to create a two-way communication system between consumers and the department. Pilgrims and other customers will be able to submit feedback on the quality and safety of food served at these establishments through the app.Officials claimed the mechanism would help authorities respond more quickly to complaints, improve accountability among food vendors and ensure that safe, hygienic food is available throughout the Kanwar Yatra route in Ghaziabad.Last year, the district administration covered 164 liquor shops along the yatra route with shrouds, while dhabas and hotels were asked to display owner names, food licences, menus and rate lists. Meat and liquor shops along the Kanwar route and near temples were ordered to shut or relocate. The directives followed a UP govt order requiring eateries to display QR codes containing information about their owners — a directive that raised apprehensions of discriminatory profiling.
