Dehradun, July 3 -- The Opposition Congress on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for issuing an order to mandate dhabas and eateries along the Kanwar routes to display their photo identity cards and licences. "It is a contempt of the Supreme Court. Last year, the Supreme Court reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh government for issuing a similar order and stayed its implementation. The BJP governments at the Centre and in BJP-ruled states have failed to address real public concerns such as unemployment, inflation, and crumbling law and order. To divert attention from these issues, they resort to tactics of religious polarisation," said Suryakant Dhasmana, Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee vice president. He further said, "The public is aware of these divisive strategies. Just as people across the country celebrated Holi and Eid-ul-Fitr together peacefully despite the ruling party's efforts to incite communal tension, this time too, the Kanwar yatra will take place peacefully in the traditional manner." "Muslim-dominated areas along the Kanwar yatra route have always welcomed the yatra, and the same will happen this year," he added. Speaking on the matter, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "The Kanwar Yatra is a journey of our faith and devotion. Every year, over four crore (40 million) devotees travel through Haridwar, Rishikesh, and nearby areas to collect holy water from the Ganga and return to their respective destinations. All food items and supplies available along the route from roadside vendors to eateries must be pure and free from any kind of adulteration. There should be no suspicious elements anywhere. Ensuring safety is our top priority. Tomorrow, I will also hold a review meeting with all stakeholders regarding these arrangements." "....all small traders, dhaba and cart operators should prominently display the photo identity card and registration certification and copy of license at such a place at their establishments where the consumer can easily see the name of registered/license holder/license/registration number of the establishment," stated the order signed by R Rajesh Kumar, commissioner of food safety and drug administration, Uttarakhand. Kumar directed concerned officials in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal and Uttarkashi districts to ensure compliance of the order in their respective jurisdictions. "Ensure that food safety display boards are displayed at visible places in hotels/dhabas/eateries and restaurants etc located on the Kanwar yatra routes. Violation of rules and orders will be punishable under section 55 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, under which there is a provision of a penalty of Rs.2 lakh," the order stated. Additional commissioner of food safety and drug administration Tajbar Singh Jaggi said that special teams of food safety officers have been deployed in the districts of Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal and Uttarkashi. "These teams will regularly collect samples of milk, sweets, oil, spices, beverages and other food items from pandals and send them to laboratories for testing. If any sample fails to meet the prescribed standards, the concerned premises will be shut down immediately," he said. Last year too, the Uttarakhand government had asked the shop owners along the Kanwar Yatra route to display nameplates with their details. The Supreme Court, however, stayed the directives issued by the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh that asked eateries on the Kanwar Yatra routes to display the names, addresses and mobile numbers of their owners and staff, but clarified that the only requirement would be to display the kind of food they are serving....