Dehradun, Oct 15 (IANS): Under the vigilant leadership of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, continuous efforts are being made to strengthen the health system and law and order in the state, says a statement.

Recently, incidents of spitting in food products at establishments like hotels and roadside eateries went viral on social media, prompting the Chief Minister to take notice. Following Chief Minister’s directives, Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar has ordered strict action against such offences, adds the statement.

Chief Minister Dhami has said that there is no place for such malicious acts in Uttarakhand. If anyone is found engaging in such behaviour, stringent action will be taken against them. These incidents not only contaminate food products but also hurt sentiments. We will take firm measures against such occurrences.

Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and all district authorities have been instructed to ensure 100 per cent verification of employees working in hotels, dhabas, and other commercial establishments.

Moreover, emphasis will be placed on installing CCTV cameras in these facilities. Local intelligence units will be utilised to keep a close watch on food vendors operating in open areas.

The first action in this direction was taken in the Mussoorie area, where legal proceedings were initiated against the offenders as per regulations. Moreover, in coordination with the Health and Food Department, random inspections will be conducted. Offences related to these illegal activities will be registered under Section 274 BNS and Section 81 of the Uttarakhand Police Act.

The Chief Minister has ordered that if such incidents adversely affect religious, ethnic, or linguistic sentiments, strict action will also be taken under Section 196(1)(b) or Section 299 of the law.

The DGP stated that awareness campaigns will be launched in collaboration with the Health and Food Department, municipal corporations, district councils, and local bodies to completely curb such incidents.