The vendor market in Sector 15, Chandigarh. Pradeep Tewari

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 3

Street food vendors will now have a module on the Covid pandemic under the capacity building and training workshop.

A workshop for the registered vendors will be organised by the Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGI, and the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

“We will have the module added. Under this, personal hygiene and food safety will be taught. Since vendors’ job involves human touch, they will be given tips on safety. They will be taught about wearing gloves and masks properly and sanitising hands regularly,” said a senior MC officer.

Last year, the vendors were given free hygiene kit, which included aprons, gloves, head covers and other easy-to-use material.

Training sessions will be conducted by experts from various fields to ensure that the operation of street vendors conforms to the bylaws of the MC, Food Safety and Standard Regulations, Street Vendors Act and Swachh Bharat Mission.

The vendors will be taught about the food safety standards and how to inculcate good hygiene practices.

“The vendors attending the workshop will be paid for the day by us. This will encourage them to attend the workshop and it will further help keeping people safe,” said an official of the civic body.

RWA files plaint on vendor market

Chandigarh: The Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), Modern Housing Complex, Sector 13 (Mani Majra), has lodged a complaint with the UT Adviser about a large number of vendors operating from a congested place.“It has become a public nuisance. The vendor market in the area operates from a congested space. The matter was taken up with the MC and the police, but to no avail,” wrote Col Gursewak Singh (retd), president of the RWA. “Various organisations in the area had vehemently opposed the setting up of the vendor market because the present location is not suitable at all,” he said. Spread of Covid-19, loud noises, unhygienic conditions and encroachment are some of the problems listed by the RWA. TNS