A joint team of administrative and police officers launched a mass crackdown on Hirapur shopkeepers violating lockdown norms on Thursday afternoon.

Hirapur is one of the Covid hotspots of Dhanbad. The locality has recorded the highest number of the total cases in the district in the last week. On May 5, 11 of 157 cases; 13 out of 128 on May 4, 9 out of 130 on May 3, six out of 136 of May 2, 10 out of 232 on May 1 and 4 out of 129 of May 30.

The team led by sub divisional officer Surendra Prasad and DSP (Law and Order), Manoj Swargiyar (IPS officer) called on Srikant Saundik, secretary of Hirapur Chamber of Commerce, one of the 49 units of Federation of Dhanbad Zila Chamber of Commerce and instructed him to ensure the strict abidance of Covid guidelines by the shop keepers.

SDO Surendra Prasad warned of lodging FIRs against lockdown violators from Friday and sealing their shops. The representatives of Hirapur Chamber of Commerce while assuring all support to the administration welcomed the administrative drive and advocated regular raids in support of it.

“Though majority of shops were closed but around two dozen shopkeepers were found operating in a clandestine manner and thus we have given strict warning to the office bearers of chamber of commerce of a crackdown from tomorrow involving lodging FIR against violators and sealing of their shops,” said Prasad.

“We have also warned the pavement vegetable sellers and instructed them to immediately shift to Zila Parishad ground where majority of vegetable sellers have already shifted, some were found still operating from Hirapur” added Prasad.

DSP, Manoj Swargiyar, told The Telegraph Online: “As hospitals are swelling with the patients it is high time for the traders to take lessons and not put their lives and others at risk, otherwise we will initiate strict action from tomorrow.”