Politics over Friday's Demolition of Night Food Court Along Old Jail Road
The MLA pledged to support a revised resolution that would allow the food court to operate legally and sustainably.
Visakhapatnam: It took over two years for the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to dismantle the night food court stalls along the Old Jail Road on Friday for regulatory violations and illegal encroachments.
The food court originally featured 32 stalls for meeting the rising demand for late-night dining from youth, including techies who worked till late in the night. The food court closed temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, stalls started reopening post-lockdown without formal approval from the GVMC, leading to increasing concerns about legality, sanitation and public safety.
In July 2023, the GVMC council presided over by then mayor Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari unanimously passed a resolution to close the food court. The resolution came in the wake of a 10-member committee headed by Deputy Mayor Kattamuri Satish recommending a payment model for food stalls with three tiers of rent – Rs 5,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000. The committee proposed that shop allocations be made through a transparent lottery system.
However, the food stalls continued to operate without payment of any rent or approval of the GVMC. Officials pointed out that GVMC received no income. Yet, the corporation had to incur costs for cleaning up the waste left behind every night by the food stall owners. Further, authorities started receiving complaints that the area has become a hotspot for cannabis consumption after dark. This led to concerns of law and order.
The clearing of the area on Friday has led to a political backlash. Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav, MLA from Visakhapatnam South constituency and leader of the Jana Sena Party, has labelled the demolition of stalls as a “heinous act.”
The MLA has gone on to criticise mayor Peela Sinivasa Rao and GVMC commissioner Ketan Garg for failing to inform MLAs and local representatives before the demolition. He warned them of serious consequences over poor vendors losing their livelihoods.
Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav had been a YSRC corporator when the resolution to rent out the stalls had been passed in 2023. He wants the GVMC council to take up the issue again with proper consultation.
The MLA pledged to support a revised resolution that would allow the food court to operate legally and sustainably.