Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Mar 31: Deputy commissioner of the district G Jagadeesh, issued an order asking the rice and oil mill owners to reopen these mills forthwith. He said that if these mills fail to become functional, strict legal measures would be initiated against them.

"The mills are permitted to procure paddy and coconuts, which are the raw materials for manufacturing rice and oil. The workers engaged in these mills should be compulsorily provided with masks, gloves, sanitizers etc and the owners should ensure that COVID 19 does not get transmitted. He said that permission to manufacture rice and oil are also subject to the condition of maintaining social distance, duly adding that other than this pre-determined activity, no other activity should be carried out.

The deputy commissioner further stated that secretaries of Agricultural Produce Market Committees at Kundapur, Udupi, and Karkala should scrutinize the arrangements. "If there is a shortage of raw materials, a solution should be found by working in coordination with the tahsildar of the taluk. This order has been issued with the specific objective of ensuring that there is no shortage of essential items," he clarified.