KOLKATA: Acting on a state advisory, the
Kolkata Municipal Corporation market department has asked all security guards, posted at 23 major municipal markets, to restrict entry of shoppers who do not wear a mask.
The
KMC has communicated this order to the market superintendents of New Market, Gariahat market,
Hatibagan market, Kankurgachhi market, Maniktala market, College Street market,
Behala market and
Bansdroni market among others. The civic brass has also asked owners and traders of private-owned markets to ensure no one enters these markets without wearing a mask. “We’ve asked officials at the KMC markets to strictly adhere to Covid-19 protocols. We have asked our sergeants at the civic markets to deny entry to customers who won’t wear masks. This is necessary to put a check on a section of shoppers who are wilfully flouting
Covid rules and endangering lives of others,” said a KMC market department official.
In the next stage, the KMC may issue notice to traders of all civic markets to discourage sales to shoppers who won’t wear masks.
In the wake of a
steady rise of Covid cases across Kolkata, markets in the city are once again back under the government scanner. From adopting a strict crowd control mechanism which could pave the way for maintaining physical distance to wearing masks and sanitization of the entire market complex once a week, the state government has suggested several measures which are now necessary for combatting the pandemic, felt a section of officials at
Nabanna.
According to sources in the KMC market department, the civic body was now keeping a vigil on some markets located in areas where Covid positive cases are on the rise.
“Some of the private markets in these areas became the epicentre of the pandemic last year. This time we are cautious and want to take preventive measures so that we don’t have to again take the decision of closing down markets which are posing a threat so far as spread of the pandemic is concerned,” a KMC official said.