Being greatly harassed and humiliated by the inhuman and punitive action of the Enforcement Squad of the BeMC, hundreds of shop owners including women, led by the Agha Sahi Chhak Byabasayee Sangh and BJP Mahila Morcha leader Subasini Pattnaik took out a procession at the BeMC office and submitted a memorandum addressed to the BeMC Commissioner here on Saturday.
Demanding an immediate halt to the practice of collecting huge fines, they shouted slogans against the harassment meted out to them.In the absence of the Commissioner, the members of the Sangh submitted their memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Samal. For some time there was a hot exchange of words between the agitators and the BeMC officials, sources said. The police quickly reached the spot to control the crowd and pacify the situation. Morcha leader Pattnaik alleged that due to harassment and huge fines slapped by BeMC squad, the small business class, retailers, and street vendors are not able to do their business and unable to maintain their family.
In such critical times, the Enforcement Squad is collecting fine from them ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000 on the ground of flouting Covid-19 guidelines, which is unjust, she told.
BeMC Commissioner Siddheswar Baliram Bonder justified the action taken by the squad against Covid norms violators.