HYDERABAD: Irrespective of whether one is a connoisseur of the gastronomic arts, almost every resident of Hyderabad has come across video clips of Kumari Aunty’s food stall on social media platforms. Sai Kumari, who has gained massive popularity, is the owner of a bustling food stall in Madhapur. But, much to the dismay of her fans, her stall was shut down by the Raidurgam traffic police on Tuesday. This comes in the wake of an enforcement drive carried out by the traffic police to streamline the traffic in the IT corridor stretch.
Her increasing popularity, although beneficial for attracting more customers, drew the attention of the cops, who view it as a source of traffic congestion in the IT sector area. Consequently, they asked her to close her stall for a week and advised her to seek assistance from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) authorities to identify a more suitable location for her stall.
When asked about Kumari’s stall, Ganesh Patel, a Raidurgam traffic inspector, told TNIE, “She has not received any permit to run the stall. It is on a footpath and many YouTubers visit the place to record videos. The stall has caused quite a congestion in the IT sector stretch.”
Speaking to the media, Kumari responded, “I have been running my stall here for nearly 13 years. IT employees and daily wage labourers consume food from my eatery. I have even asked my customers to not park their vehicles here.”
Besides, Kumari claimed that only her business was affected while the other eateries on the stretch were exempted from the enforcement drive.
The inspector clarified, “There are around 10 other food stalls in that stretch. However, these owners have taken a stay order from the high court, which is why we have not been able to clear them. However, we have sent a letter to the GHMC officials about the same.”
Meanwhile, Kumari Aunty revealed that her husband was upset that the media popularity had led to their current situation.
When asked about the extent of traffic congestion due to street vendors, another Raidurgam traffic inspector said, “They do not pay any rent. They have just set up a business on the footpath. Because of these hundred people, thousands of people are affected by the traffic.”