Violating COVID-19 SOPs in Sindh could result in Rs1 million fine, warns CS

Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah has warned that any commercial establishment or outlet in the province found violating the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) announced by the government during the coronavirus emergency could face penalty up to Rs1 million.

Chairing a meeting at the Sindh Secretariat on Wednesday, the Sindh chief secretary warned that any shop or market found violating the SOPs would be sealed by the authorities. He said the violation of the SOPs would not be tolerated at any cost by the authorities concerned.

He said all representative associations of traders had duly submitted undertakings that they would abide by the SOPs so the retailers were under strict obligations to follow the precautions against the spread of coronavirus.

He said action would be taken against those found violating the prescribed SOPs against the spread of the coronavirus in accordance with the Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act-2014. The chief secretary said the police officers and personnel performing their duties in the field should observe due safety precautions and protections against the deadly viral disease.

The meeting was informed 170 shops, markets, Bachat Bazaars, and other commercial outlets had been sealed in Karachi since June 5 for violating the SOPs against the spread of COVID-19.

The administration and police carried out some 687 penal actions and six first information reports had been lodged for violating the SOPS, the meeting was told. The Sindh transport secretary informed the meeting that some 87 passenger carriers of the intra-city public transport had been impounded in Karachi for violating the SOPs.

Layoffs

It was also informed on the occasion that intercity passenger carriers from other cities had been reaching Karachi and Hyderabad during night time despite the ban on intercity transport. The chief secretary asked the deputy commissioners and the senior superintendents of police to take action against the passenger carriers violating the ban on intercity transport.

The Sindh labour secretary informed the meeting that action had been taken on 87 complaints of labourers of the factories regarding the instances of dismissal from services during the COVID-19 emergency in the province. He said the directorate of the Labour and Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution had also been running a complaint cell in this regard.