Ooty: Activists oppose mushrooming milk booths

Ooty: “The Nilgiris district administration should use the opportunity now to evict the Aavin booths that have mushroomed in many places, especially on the footpaths and roadsides, across the hills to make the path clear for the pedestrians and commuters,” said Mr. Anandha Gokulkumar, a senior citizen here who is also the former secretary of the Nilgiris Consumer Rights and Human Rights Organization.

“There is a beautification committee in Nilgiris with district collector as it is head.  This committee had hardly done anything to remove the encroachments on footpaths and roadsides.  Most of these encroachments are either Aavin booths or other petty shops dealing with Aavin products.  A close look at these shops showed that these shops sell “bonda” “vada” and related items, more than Aavin milkproducts.  It appears that it has become a culture in the hills to encroach footpath or drainage or storm water channel/stream and erect Aavin booths there to run other trade too in the guise of selling Aavin products. The hygiene of the products being sold in these shops is also a question.  It is also alleged that these Aavin booths are sub-rented to others by original encroachers,” Gokulkumar lamented.

He further added that the Nilgiris district administration should form a panel to find out the facts regarding the running of these Aavin booths and take a stern action to remove them and other shops on footpaths and on drainage channels.