Controversy surrounds eat street

Rajamahendravaram (East Godavari District): The eat street launched a few days ago in the city is gaining popularity. At the same time, it also stirs up controversy. Eat Street is one of the various projects undertaken with the recently sanctioned city beautification and development funds.

Arts College Road on the way from Jayakrishna Puram to Y Junction was chosen for the project. Along with attractive lighting, parking, and sitting arrangements, a cycling track has also been designed on both sides. It is said that initially it was planned to establish it at another place. But, it was shifted here after the locals raised objections. There are hostels for SC girls, SC women, hostel for ST girls, BC study circle, BC ladies hostel as well as Metcalfe women's hostel belonging to Arts college.

SC Boys Hostel is being run next to these. Many students are taking shelter in hostels. It is customary to conduct special study hours in hostels from evening to night. However, as a result of allowing a large number of food shops in the name of eat street, the crowd and traffic have suddenly increased.

So far, only 10 to 15 shops have been established on eat street. Civic chief Dinesh Kumar said around fifty shops may come up. Moreover, the food shops running on eat street are allowed till 12:30 am. A proposal to extend the deadline is also under consideration.

Many say that the arrangement of the street is good, but the location chosen for it is not right. Social worker Talluri Ravi Royal said that there is a danger of such night markets becoming a trap for hooligans, eve-teasers, drunkards, and anti-social forces, who roam around on bikes at night. He expressed concern over girls' safety.

He said as part of the Spandana programme, he requested the authorities to move eat street to another place. The officials assured him to look into it and take appropriate action. Life skills trainer and lecturer Battula Kiran Babu said the noise of food shops, crowds, and traffic affects the concentration of hostel students and spoils their studies. He urged the authorities to immediately shift eat street to another place. Arts College alumni president M Madhava Rao also opposed the establishment of eat street. He opined that officials and public representatives should not commit activities that pollute the educational environment in Arts College. The student unions are planning to hold a protest demonstration with students and put pressure on the authorities after Sankranti holidays.