Kolkata eateries may deliver food, locally for now

KOLKATA: Several restaurants and fast-food outlets will resume home delivery following a Kolkata Police initiative to sort out logistical issues that had been blocking the service. Police stations across the city have asked restaurants and food chains to write to them seeking permission to operate in their respective areas.
“We will allow three to five delivery persons to operate from each unit.The restaurant manager has to indicate how many will be employed, but they cannot breach the upper limit. We will issue a letter of approval to each eatery, which must be carried by the delivery partner on the road. The cooking staff, too, must carry a copy of the letter,” said an officer.
Though online food delivery was included in the list of exemptions during lockdown, the logistical challenges had made operations difficult in the past few days. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had then instructed cops to ensure that online delivery was not hampered, after which Lalbazar swung into action, reaching out to restaurants.
Desperate calls from citizens — especially the aged — who complained of not being able to buy ration during the lockdown prompted the police to act. “For two days, we helped with the procuring of ration. But that didn’t solve the problem since cooks and domestic help are not being able to travel. Hence, there was a pressing need to get the delivery system up and going,” said an officer.
Cops said that though they have not limited the area of operation for each online food chain, for all practical purposes, the service is likely to be available locally. “We are not allowing too many delivery boys to ply. Even the exemption provided to them has mentioned that the operation has to be carried out with the least number of people,” said an officer.
Meanwhile, a directive from MHA to all police forces holds importance for the departmental stores which, too, can accept online orders. Those, however, will only have to deal in essential goods for now.