52 meat shops in Chennai sealed

Apart from their failure to enforce the keep-distance norm, many meat shops were sealed for not selling meat of animals that were not butchered in the slaughter houses of the Corporation.

Chickens were taken out from the meat shop after the corporation officials asked to close the shop at Pallavaram market on Sunday. (Photo| Ashwin Prasath, EPS) 

CHENNAI: After supermarkets, it is the turn of meat shops in the city to face action for failing to maintain social distancing among customers. On Sunday alone, 52  meat shops in various zones were closed by Chennai Corporation officials. Besides, the officials seized 425kg meat from these shops.

Apart from their failure to enforce the keep-distance norm, many meat shops were sealed for not selling meat of animals that were not butchered in the slaughter houses of the Corporation.“Such sealed shops shall not be reopened for three months,” said Corporation Commissioner G Prakash. The same rules would be applicable to grocery shops and supermarkets that don’t enforce social distancing, he added.

Around ten shops were closed in the Alandur zone, eight in Adyar zone, five each in Valasaravakkam and Kodambakkam zones and six each in Tondiarpet and Royapuram zones, according to data released by the Corporation.Even though only one shop was closed in Perungudi zone, a large quantity of meat (103 kg) was seized from there.