COVID-19 norms: Ahmedabad civic body collects Rs 5.5 cr fine

The civic body also rued that despite conducting a massive regulatory drive, people are still not following guidelines. The AMC had prepared SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for various categories like shopping malls, hotels, clubs, religious places, etc. Despite this massive regulatory drive, people are still not following SOPs and rules," the civic body stated.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Sunday said it has collected a fine of over Rs 5.5 crore so far from violators, including citizens and commercial establishments, of COVID-19 norms. The civic body also rued that despite conducting a massive regulatory drive, people are still not following guidelines.

The AMC had prepared SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for various categories like shopping malls, hotels, clubs, religious places, etc. to check the coronavirus spread in the city, an official release said. More than 192 teams were formed for 48 wards and seven administrative zones for effective implementation of rules related to social distancing, wearing masks, spitting in public places etc, it said.

"Till date, penalties of more than Rs 5.5 crore have been collected by the AMC and the police. Despite this massive regulatory drive, people are still not following SOPs and rules," the civic body stated. While more than 55,000 shops and commercial units have been penalised of Rs 1.88 crore, 90 big and well-known entities, including shopping malls, were briefly sealed and a fine of Rs 31.41 lakh recovered from them, it said.

"Around 4.5 lakh individuals have been penalised after they were found without masks in public places and Rs 2.24 crore recovered from them in penalty," it said. A fine of Rs 27.21 lakh has been collected from 6,949 persons for spitting on public roads or near paan shops.

Action was also taken against 603 shops selling paan and tobacco, and a fine of Rs 38.61 lakh was recovered from them, the civic body said, adding that more than 35 tea stalls were sealed. Over 1,200 stalls closed on their own following the action by civic teams.

The tally of COVID-19 cases in Ahmedabad district stood at 36,048 as on September 26, as per the state health department..

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