Delivery boys roughed up by cops; Swiggy, Zomato call off services in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: The attempts on Saturday by the city police to strictly enforce the lockdown resulted in sudden stoppage of services by food delivery agencies that said they were pulling their staff out of the streets because of police officials preventing them from taking their delivery routes.
Two major food delivery companies, Zomato and Swiggy, said they were suspending their services as police officials were stopping their staff at check posts. “This has caused a lot of inconvenience to people staying isolated because of Covid, or those needing other food delivery services,” they said. Meanwhile, customers of food delivery apps in certain parts of Hyderabad received in-app notification that "as per mandate, all restaurants will remain closed from 2.45 pm to 6 am.”
Later at night, minister K.T. Rama Rao said he would discuss the issue with the Director General of Police. Taking to Twitter, Rama Rao said he “received several complaints on the police stopping the food delivery services & others in distress. Will discuss with TelanganaDGP and resolve asap (sic).”
Following orders from Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to enforce a stricter lockdown, the city police began implementing the lockdown with more vigour on Saturday. Accordingly, the police increased the number of checkpoints across the city and were seen stopping food delivery executives.
Cyberabad police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, responding to the viral videos of food delivery executives belonging to Swiggy and Zomato being stopped for checks and being roughed up by some policemen at various locations, said checking and verification was happening across the city and not just in Cyberabad limits. “We have come across several cases of misuse of identity of food delivery services and hence carrying out verifications. The delivery executives are not being stopped. Once their details are verified, they are allowed to leave,” he said.
“While the recent directive by the government allows Swiggy to operate as an essential service not just for our food deliveries but also Genie and other services, we have paused our operations due to the on-ground challenges on Saturday. We are prioritising the safety of delivery partners while we await clarity on this matter,” a Swiggy spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Zomato executives told the media that they were notified that the app would be in service till 4 pm on Saturday evening. “Several delivery executives were stopped at checkpoints set up by the police as part of enforcing the lockdown. Their bikes were seized and many were fined Rs 1,000. This was an unforeseen development since the government directive allowed food delivery as an essential service. We have paused our operations till we have clarity from the authorities, keeping in mind the safety of our delivery partners,” a spokesperson from Zomato said.
Asad flays police actions on delivery boys
Asaduddin Owaisi, Hyderabad MP and president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), on Saturday took strong objection to the city police stopping food delivery executives from carrying out their duties.
Reacting to the police action of stopping these executives at various locations in the city, Owaisi pointed out that the Telangana government order on lockdown had allowed free movement of food delivery executives. “The GO on lockdown in Telangana clearly states that food delivery is permitted. Why are delivery personnel being detained then? They must be released along with their vehicles immediately. These are poor youths trying to get by.” (sic) the MP tweeted while tagging the Telangana DGP, and heads of all the three commissionerates in his tweet.
In another tweet that tagged the Telangana chief secretary, the Hyderabad MP said, “If the govt has decided to not allow food delivery, then please amend the GO. Till such an amendment is made, food delivery personnel should not be stopped.”
