CUTTACK: Intensifying enforcement against Covid violations, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) on Thursday sealed two private coaching centres and a super market in the city.
Chanakya coaching centre at Mission Road and Academics near Chandi Chowk have been sealed for violating the Covid protocols.
“While the students were sitting close to each other throwing the norm of social distancing to the wind, many of them were found inside the classroom without masks during a surprise raid,” said CMC Deputy Commissioner (Enforcement) Abinash Rout.
Similarly, the norm of social distancing was violated in the shopping complex on Hind Cinema premises at Ranihat, following which it was sealed.
Over 1,500 private coaching and tuition centres are running in the city without adequate preventive measures in place.
Though the State government had given permission for functioning of only government and private educational institutions strictly adhering to Covid guidelines, the coaching and tuition centres are allegedly running their classes flouting the safety norms.
While the tuitions are being run by both in-service and retired teachers inside their houses, maximum numbers of private coaching centres are found to be operating in busy market and residential areas like Arunoday Nagar, Madhupatna, Badambadi, Dolamundai, College Square, Chandi Chowk, Nuabazar and Mahanadi Vihar localities. Students are attending the private coaching and tuition classes sans safety measures like masks, social distancing and hand sanitising.
“The practice will spread the coronavirus infection in the city if the coaching and tuition centres are not stopped,” said a health expert.
CMC Commissioner Ananya Das, who admitted to the functioning of coaching and tuition centres in an unorganised manner across the city, said steps are being taken to keep a close watch on them.
“We are planning to focus on private coaching and tuition centres by collecting ward-wise data,” said the Commissioner.