VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has collected nearly Rs 20 lakh (`19,17,945) from May to November this year, by imposing fines on shops violating the ban on single-use plastic.However, no fine was collected in the months of June and July. Speaking to TNIE, VMC assistant medical health officer (AMHO) Madhusudan Prasad said, “During our raids, the shopkeepers started demanding written orders which we did not have in the initial days (in May). So we had to stop the raids till the ban was officially introduced in the gazette.”
Surprisingly, trade licenses of none of the shopkeepers’ were cancelled, despite violating the orders from time to tim “The commissioner told us not to cancel trade licences as our aim is to inculcate discipline and not take away anyone’s mode of income. To this end, we increased the fine amount from `50,000 to `1 lakh for repeat offenders,” he said.
Meanwhile, the corporation has cancelled trade licenses of five shops for violating environment regulations, as per the directions given by Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB). Hosanna Motorbike Service Centre, K Bosu Babu Paper Print Manufactures, Padmavati Ladies, Associated Auto Service Pvt Ltd and Bhavani Footwear feature in the list.