MALEGAON :
The district administration has imposed certain restrictions on shops selling fruits and allowed hawkers to sell fruits in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 due to overcrowding at fruit shops.
The reasonsing is that people gather at one place in markets which defeats the idea of social distancing and generates fear of infection spread.
As per the earlier order passed by state government under the Prevention of Epidemic Disease Act 1897, shops selling dates, fruits and bakery items were exempted from curfew from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm. However, as the shops remained open during and after this time, it has been seen that the citizens are gathering in large numbers in front of the fruit shops. This is a very serious matter and flouting social distancing norms. Corona disease can be spread due to the rush to buy fruits.
Therefore, under Section 144 (1) (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, it has been permitted to sell fruits only by handcart and care should be taken to ensure that fruit handcarts and date and bakery shops do not open after 05:00 pm under any circumstances, warned Vijayanand Sharma, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Malegaon Sub-Division further adding that strict preventive action will be taken against the violators.