Cyberabad or the IT centre of Hyderabad is known for its ubiquitous food stalls or dosa carts that remain open throughout the night and are a boon for hordes of IT employees engaged in night shifts. But all that is set to change with the police imposing time limits on their functioning in view of the rising incidents of crime in the city.
As per the new rule, dosa carts will have to shut shop by midnight and can only reopen at 4 am the next day. This restriction has been issued under the City Police Act to maintain law and order in the city.
The rationale for this action according to Hyderabad Police is that they noticed most youths who were involved in crimes were gathering near dosa carts. Speaking on this issue, Additional DCP South Zone K. Babu Rao told The News Minute, “In the street fight case which took a life in 2015, the gang used to gather near dosa carts. In most of the cases, we found that youngsters who gather near dosa carts and food stalls get involved in petty quarrels that lead to violence. So by imposing a time restriction, we are trying to maintain law and order in the city.”
Places like Madhapur, DLF, Gachibowli are famous for dosa and tiffin stalls that are frequented by mostly software professionals working nights.
Abhiram Pyla, an IT employee working in Hyderabad told The News Minute, “IT employees are habituated to night food, dosa has become their regular food. No matter what time, dosa was always available. Without it, it would affect employees’ lifestyle and they would have to face problems as other food in the night would be costly as well.
‘’I am quite regular to these food stalls and dosa carts especially which are available near DLF street, Gachibowli. Most of the IT crowd who work on night shifts depends on these night food stalls so it will be really difficult from them, just because of some ill people why others should suffer,” questioned Harshit Jain who works with an IT firm in Hyderabad and is a foodie.
Vinay Didla, a 28-year-old technical consultant from Hyderabad told TNM, ‘’Late night food joints in Hyderabad are very useful to the people who work late in the night. All the main stream restaurants close by around 11 pm and these road side food joints are the only places where one can get food throughout the night. If these food joints are closed it will be very difficult for IT employees and other workers to have food late in the night. Also the metro rail workers who mostly work in the night will have a tough time finding food.’’
Twenty-six-year-old Santosh Thallam, a businessman from Hyderabad was shocked when he heard the news. He said, ‘’It's a heartbreaking news for food lovers but in my opinion, police should allow food stalls with proper permissions in particular locations so that people of Hyderabad can enjoy night life’’.