NMC increases fine for shop-owners violating guidelines

Tukaram Mundhe, Municipal Commissioner; Ram Joshi,

Additional Municipal Commissioner, and others interacting with representatives of various trade and business bodies, during a meeting held at NMC on Saturday.

Staff Reporter :

Trade and business establishments volunteer to create a ‘Task Force’ to educate customers on social distancing, wearing face-masks etc

Let the Independence Day this year mark freedom from COVID-19, says Tukaram Mundhe

In a bid to curb widespread violation of ‘Mission Begin Again’ guidelines, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has raised penalty to be recovered from shop-owners found to be violating the norms. Tukaram Mundhe, Municipal Commissioner, issued an order on Saturday in this regard. As per the order, the penalty for shop-owners violating the norms has been increased. As per the order, the first incident of violation will attract fine of Rs 5,000. If the same shop-owners is found violating the norms for the second time, he will have to pay fine of Rs 8,000.

If there is violation for the third time, the shop-owner concerned will have to pay a hefty fine of Rs 10,000. Apart from the penalty, criminal action will be initiated against the shop-owner concerned and the shop licence may also be revoked and the shop may be closed, stated the order signed by Mundhe. He has authorised Nuisance Detection Squad of NMC, Sanitation Inspectors, Chief Sanitation Officer, and Assistant Commissioners of various zones and senior NMC officers, and all Police Sub-Inspectors and officers above that rank for initiating necessary action and enforcement of the order. As per the Government directives issued on June 30, phase-wise relaxations were to be offered till July 31. Accordingly, shops were allowed to re-open on odd-even basis in prescribed timing. Shop-owners were asked to ensure that customers wore triple-layered face-mask, maintained social distancing as per norms. Also, shop-owners were asked to carry out regular sanitisation of premises.

However, there has been widespread violation of the guidelines. Stating that the guidelines issued from time to time were not being followed seriously, Mundhe issued the order raising penalty. Mundhe informed the office-bearers of trade and business bodies about the decision on Saturday. He reiterated that if everyone co-operated in curbing the spread of COVID-19, need for re-imposing lockdown would not arise. He stressed that lockdown was the last resort to break the chain of spread of COVID-19. “Let the Independence Day this year mark freedom from COVID-19,” he said, while seeking co-operation from all in ensuring strict enforcement of guidelines.

He asked the shops and establishments to follow self-discipline and regulate the customers. The office-bearers of various trade and business organisations made certain suggestions in the meeting. B C Bhartia, National President of Confederation of All India Traders; and Ritesh Modi, President of Readymade Market Association, said that traders were willing to act as ‘COVID Prevention Ambassadors’.

The employees asked to stay at home due to guidelines, could be roped in to form a ‘Task Force’ to educate the customers on various guidelines including social distancing norm etc. Also, the task force will help NMC staff in regulating the crowd in market areas, said Sanjay Agrawal, Secretary of Steel and Hardware Chamber of Vidarbha. Ashwin Mehadia, President of Nag Vidarbha Chamber of Commerce (NVCC), and Rajesh Rokade, Secretary of Nagpur Sarafa Association, suggested that respective associations would put up hoardings for creating public awareness about safety measures. Mundhe welcomed the suggestions and assured NMC’s co-operation. Ram Joshi and Sanjay Nipane, Additional Municipal Commissioner; Nirbhay Jain, Deputy Municipal Commissioner; Ujjwal Loya, Assistant Commissioner (Labour); Abhay Deshpande, Assistant Commissioner of Food and Drugs Administration; Sharad Kolte; Vishnu Pacheriwala, Secretary of Nagpur Chamber of Commerce Limited (NCCL); Ramavtar Totla, Secretary of NVCC, Kalpesh Madan, Secretary of Jagnath Road Cloth Market Association; Rajesh Lakhotiya, President of Steel and Hardware Chamber of Vidarbha; Tejinder Singh Renu, President of Nagpur Residential Hotels Association; Hetal Thakkar, Secretary of Nagpur District Chemists and Druggists Association; Sanjay Shirpurkar, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee; Hemant Trivedi, Vice-President of Vidarbha Taxpayers’ Association; Tarun Nirban, Joint Secretary of NCCL, and others also were present in the meeting.