You may no longer have to jockey for elbow room in the crowded, narrow by-lanes of India?s walled cities to savour traditional cuisines. The Paranthewali Gali in old Delhi?s Chandni Chowk, Hazrat Gunj in old Lucknow and lanes around the Charminar in Hyderabad are set for a make-over, offering hygienic and delicious food with proper seating. This may soon be the case with 24 other old streets across the country.
The food processing ministry has launched a ?food street? mission for 25 heritage lanes that will be developed on the lines of the historic locales of Lahore (Gawalmandi, Anarkali and Badshahi). The government will spend Rs 5 crore on developing each heritage street and make changes to meet a certain standard.
The ministry has asked NGOs and municipalities of 25 cities, including Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, to identify heritage lanes that may be turned into ?food streets?. The government will then set standards for the quality of food and hygiene, and help draw a proper layout for such areas and turn them into coveted hangouts. Depending upon the success of the endeavour, the government will take the projects to other cities as well.
But this is not going to be easy, sources say, as the move will involve relocating small shops like pan vends and other small establishments that might not fit into the planned, picturesque set-up of the targeted areas. But the move is expected to boost tourism and help visitors re-live the old-world charm of these long-forgotten by-lanes.
