KOLKATA: The KMC and Kolkata Police will jointly conduct an awareness drive at the city’s markets to enforce wearing of masks. Traders of Kolkata’s major markets will be asked to entertain buyers only when they wear a mask, besides themselves wearing masks.
KMC Board of Administrators chairman Firhad Hakim on Friday held an urgent meeting to enforce Covid protocols at major markets ahead of the anticipated third wave. Later, Hakim told reporters that the civic body will act against the traders who entertained customers without a mask.
Kolkata’s markets had become hot spots of Covid infection last year. Keeping this in mind, the civic body has decided to enforce a strict ‘no mask, no entry’ policy at markets. The KMC officials will accompany police officers as part of the awareness drive.
After an initial round of awareness, surprise raid will follow. According to a KMC health department official, the raids won’t spare the traders who failed to obey the instructions.
“We will conduct surprise raids after conducting the awareness drive. If any trader is found guilty, he or she will have to face strict action,” a market department official said.
The KMC is particularly worried about the functioning of several markets, including those in Bijoygarh, Azadgarh, Golf Green, Baghajatin and Maniktala, which had become hot spots of Covid infection last year.
“We have asked the local ward coordinators to help us identify the traders who have been dodging all Covid protocols,” said a health department official associated with the KMC Covid combat team.
