Doadpathri: The authorities ordered all roadside tea vendors, famous for serving traditional tea and Makai Chot (maize flour tortillas), to vacate the space in Doodhpathri tourist resort area in central Kashmir’s Budgam district within 10 days or face action.
The order has been issued by Doodpathri Development Authority, asking roadside tea vendors to vacated spaces they have occupied “illegally”.
There are more than 50 stalls in the area, 43 of which are run by women. Most of these women come from farming households that cultivate maize, and the idea behind these stalls was to operate a self-sustaining business.
However, the Chief Executive Officer DDA, Nargis Suraya said that the department has received multiple complaints that the tea stall owners have been allegedly cutting tree branches, thereby harming the picturesque meadows.
She also said the unauthorised vendors are located under high-tension transmission lines, posing a risk to their lives and visitors as well.