AAP on Friday attacked the BJP-ruled municipal corporations for allegedly opposing the Delhi government’s decision to end the requirement of a ‘health trade license’ for hotels and restaurants.
Addressing a press conference, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had told commissioners of the three BJP-ruled municipal corporations that ‘health trade licence’ from the corporations was no longer required.
“The BJP-ruled MCD has opposed the decision of the Delhi government to end the health trade licence. This shows that the corporations are against finishing the licence raj. The FSSAI wrote a letter on September 7 to the municipal corporations of Delhi, saying they check standards of food and safety of all hotels and restaurants, therefore, there is no need to issue separate certificates by MCDs,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.
He alleged that despite this, the BJP-ruled corporations harass the restaurant and hotel owners to take health trade licence and collect “huge bribes”. “The harassment of these owners must stop, but the BJP-ruled MCDs want to continue such harassment against the owners of restaurants and hotels,” the AAP leader said.
AAP MLA Somnath Bharti said that after efforts of Mr. Kejriwal, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), under the Central government, on Friday allotted land to rebuild a Ravidas Temple at Tughlakabad.
The temple in Tughlakabad was demolished by the DDA on August 10 following a Supreme Court order. “Today, an authority meeting of the DDA was held. Last authority meeting of the DDA was held on August 13, 2019. At that meeting, I observed that the DDA should consider giving the land back to the Guru Ravidas Samiti without any further delay. Today the DDA has handed over the 400 sqm forest area to the Guru Ravidas Temple Samiti. We are happy that this historic work has taken place,” Mr. Bharti said.