DLF food street 12 am curfew upsets techies, midnight food lovers; cops say safety first

Hyderabad: Gone are those days when people of Hyderabad can taste a variety of food items beyond midnight at the DLF street food court in the Gachibowli area. But now, the DLF street food vendors have been ordered to shut shop by 12 am from Sunday to Thursday and by 1 am on Friday and Saturday.

The Cyberabad police have imposed restrictions on the business of street food vendors, citing law and order issues. Over many nights over the years, one could find the one-kilometre stretch lined with 200-odd stalls packed to the brim with visitors, mostly IT employees from nearby companies and street food enthusiasts.

Restrictions started during state elections

Until the completion of the Telangana State Legislative Assembly elections, the police instructed the vendors of the DLF street in the Gachibowli area to close shop by 11 pm to enforce the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). However, even after the elections, the police continue to impose restrictions.

A private employee, Md Khanna said, “Ever since the new government came to power, they have implemented the closure of all food joints by 11 pm. The new government is following the Karnataka model. They killed the nightlife of Hyderabad, giving rise to thefts and crimes. While unemployed alcoholics are indulging in thefts at nighttime due to the closure of shops.”

“What about shift employees who come out searching for food? The @TelanganaCMO @CommissionrGHMC government will now decide when people should eat? Then close all offices also at the same time if you want to keep them hungry,” another resident, Amruta, wrote on her X account.

People air complaints on social media

People, whose choice of night food is Gachibowli’s DLF street food, continue to go back in disappointment and hunger. In light of the strict timings, several IT employees and street food enthusiasts took to social media and appealed to the officials concerned to relax their norms and keep the DLF street food court open to cater to the hungry needs of night shift employees in Hyderabad.

One among them, Amal Jose Philip, a PhD student on his X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “The point of these shops is to be open even late into the night, so that they can serve the late shift employees in the IT companies in the area. What is the logic of early shutdowns?”

“I work the night shift in a US-based MNC in Nanakramguda. My friend and I go out around 11:30 pm-12 am to have dinner occasionally. Yesterday, when we went out searching for food, no restaurants or food trucks were open at 11 pm,” said Md Ahmed Shariff.

Law and order priority, say police

Speaking to NewsMeter, Gachibowli inspector of police B Jemes Babu said that the State Government and Cyberabad police commissioner Avinash Mohanty are specialised in enforcing law and order strictly in Cyberabad for the safety and security of the public. In this regard, instructions were given to the food stall owners and other establishments to close their business by 12 am (from Sunday to Thursday) and 1 am on Friday and Saturday, he said.

Regarding the restrictions imposed on the DLF street food court vendors, the inspector said that over the years, the DLF food court has been the ideal location for IT employees and street food enthusiasts. Apart from that, certain sections of society are taking advantage of the nightlife in the food court by creating law and order issues. On several occasions, the police registered cases relating to nuisance, mobile theft and petty issues, he said.

Elaborating further, Jemes Babu said that as per The Hyderabad and Secunderabad (Public Place of halt/Place of Public Entertainment/Amusement) Rules of 2005, all establishments must seek permission from the police to function past 12 am. Any violation of these specified timings will result in the invocation of the Hyderabad Police Act 21/76 against the offenders, he added.