28 meat, fish outlets in Salem sealed for rule violation

Corporation officials conduct surprise checks at shops within its limits

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER

Consumers standing close to each other at a fish market in Suramangalam on Sunday.E. Lakshmi Narayanan E_LakshmiNarayanan

Salem Corporation officials on Sunday sealed 28 meat and fish outlets here for not following personal distancing among consumers.

Being Sunday, more people ventured out despite lockdown here to purchase meat and other non-vegetarian items.

Though the civic body and health officials here have been stressing to prevent overcrowding while purchasing items and maintain personal distance, many meat and fish shops within Corporation limits functioned without ensuring personal distance of 2 metres among consumers here.

Salem Corporation officials conducted surprise checks at fish and meat outlets within its limits on Sunday morning and sealed 28 of them which did not ensure personal distance among consumers. Corporation officials said that necessary legal action would be taken against those shop owners.

Teams formed

The Salem Corporation has formed five teams in its four zones, Sooramangalam, Hasthampatti, Ammapet and Kondalampatti here to ensure that commercial places allowed to function during this lockdown maintain personal distancing among its customers.

Officials have already drawn lines, boxes and circles outside pharmacies and grocery stores here to ensure that public followed personal distancing while purchasing items.

Corporation officials warned those selling fish and meat through vehicles at residential places here that their vehicles would be seized and necessary legal action would be taken against them.

Despite warnings and necessary precautionary advice, public continued to turn up at large numbers in markets here.

Despite government ensuring that essential goods would be available all along the lockdown period, over 9,000 persons turned up to purchase vegetables at the temporary farmers’ market set up on the premises of the new bus stand here.

Officials advised public to avoid unnecessary trips out of their homes.