The Delhi government has sought public feedback on its draft policy concerning independent food outlets in the national capital that seeks to ease licensing norms and aid their expansion.

The policy was announced in the Rozgar Budget 2022-23 by the then Finance Minister Manish Sisodia.

The last date for public feedback is July 20.

According to the draft, the government has decided to recognise the existence of independent food outlets as a separate activity since most of the stakeholder departments of the government do not have a separate category named ‘Independent Food outlets’ in the policy regime.

“The term ‘independent food outlet’ shall include other similar terminology such as cloud kitchen, ghost kitchen, dark kitchen, base kitchen, satellite kitchen and virtual kitchen etc.,” it said.

“‘Independent food outlet’ shall mean those outlets that operate independently in any commercial or industrial space without any of its products being sold to consumers on-site,” the draft mentions.

Specifying the definition of independent food outlets, the draft specified that all food/products of such outlets should be invariably delivered to the consumers by way of delivery personnel. However, outlets that are attached to dine-in restaurants or takeaway establishments should not be specified as independent food outlets.

The Delhi government’s Department of Industries has been mandated to develop a single-window portal for licensing and compliance under the recently notified start-up policy.

The single-window portal will also function as an online platform to facilitate all licences and permission for setting up and operating independent food outlets in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The policy proposes for removal of the requirement of a fire NOC while stressing that a ‘no fire NOC’ should be required for the establishment and operation of independent food outlets in industrial and commercial locations for covered areas below 250 square metres.

The policy envisions 24X7 operations for such outlets.

The Labour Department will examine and bring suitable amendments to permit round-the-clock operations for independent food outlets.

It proposes the adoption of a computerised inspection management system, which may provide random assignment of inspections, wherever necessary.

"The concerned department shall carry out a risk-based assessment in a time-bound manner by determining the need and periodicity of inspections ensuring transparency," the draft said.

The Delhi government will also develop independent food outlets if a need is felt for the development of such a facility in any industrial/commercial area, through the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (DSIIDC).

It states that these facilities shall be of plug-and-play in nature with all the common infrastructures being provided at the complex. These facilities shall be allowed to operate on a rental basis and subsidised if required.

In addition, some other ancillary facilities such as common infrastructure, food testing labs, temperature-controlled warehousing, docking & storage facility, chilling station, co-working office space etc. may also be developed, it said.

The Department of Industries will be the implementing agency for all reward and incentive schemes under the policy except for the development of infrastructure, with all independent food outlets having to register themselves with the implementing agency under this policy before claiming any benefits of the policy.

It also provides for the creation of an empowered committee headed by the Minister of Industries comprising representatives of all concerned departments.

The committee shall conduct meetings once in three months and evaluate the policy periodically and modify, amend or relax any provision thereof, to ease the operations of independent food outlets with the approval of the Minister of Industries, GNCTD.

It shall take all measures to resolve the grievances and any major issues faced by the industry and any difficulty in implementation of the policy, the draft policy said.

According to government officials, currently, around 20,000 cloud kitchens and independent food outlets are operating in different parts of Delhi. Approximately, four lakh people are working with or associated with these establishments in some way.

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