MARDAN                   -                 Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Abid Wazir on Tuesday said that the district administration along with police officials and other security forces are checking the implementation of partial lockdown throughout the district.

“District administration has arrested 538 people for violation of the lockdown and the exploitation of customers in different areas of the district,” the DC told The Nation here.

Abid Wazir added that the district administration has also sealed 206 shops for violating the SOPs and exploitation of customers in different areas. He added that district administration has also sealed 2 shopping plazas for violating the SOPs and also closed the unnecessary sections of different marts and shopping plazas.

“The officials during checking in different bazaars of the district and other areas arrested these persons for violating the lockdown, for lack of official price list or overcharging the customers and some of the traders were arrested for not closing businesses at 4pm”, he added.

Abid Wazir added that the district administration imposed fine of Rs 822,500 in the last five bays for violating the lockdown SOPs.

He said that the district administration was utilizing all its resources to save the public from corona virus and their cooperation was necessary to defeat this virus.

The Deputy Commissioner said that the price control magistrates would conduct inspections during Ramazan and no one would be allowed to raise the prices in the current situation.

He added that the price control magistrates had been mobilized to provide quality items to consumers at the control price and no shopkeeper would be spared in this regard. He cleared that strict monitoring of prices of essential items would continue in the markets and bazaars and violators would be sent behind the bars.

He added that the prayer leaders and religious scholars were advised to follow the 20-point precautions at mosques during prayers and Taraveeh. He added that the administration also established committees on district and tehsil level to remain in close contact with the religious scholars and prayer leaders in the district and also create awareness in the masses about corona virus.