Mangaluru: A team from Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) comprising Chairperson of Health, Education and Social Justice Standing Committee Kavitha Sanil, members and officials carried out a raid in K S Rao road on Friday and sealed two shops for operating without trade licence.

Notices were also issued to three shops for non-renewal of trade licence and plastic covers were seized from four shops.

A team comprising Kavitha Sanil, corporators and standing committee members Rajanish and Nagaveni, Health Inspectors Yashwanth, Nirmala, Karunakara, Poovappa and Sushanth, Health Officer Dr Manjappa Shetty and Environment Engineer Madhu, raided the shops at City Centre Mall and checked for trade licences. During the raid, it was found that a cloth showroom of a popular brand was operating without trade licence. Kavitha directed the officials to seal the shop. A notice was served to a footwear showroom in the same mall, for not renewing the trade license.

After learning about the raid, several shopkeepers closed their shops and vanished from the scene as they were not in possession of the trade license, it is learnt.

A raid was carried out on the shops closer to the mall and a shop was sealed for not having trade licence and a photocopy cum cyber cafe nearby was issued notice for not renewing the trade licence.

Addressing mediapersons after the raid, Kavitha said that if the defaulters apply for the renewal of trade licence or new trade license, it will be issued within two days.

She stressed that the raid was inevitable to prevent revenue drain.

She said that the details of the raid was kept confidential so as to prevent the leak of information.

The officials too, were not informed in advance about the places of raid, to maintain secrecy, she added.

After the MCC gave deadline till June 30, to the shops to avail trade licences and to renew existing licences, 326 new licences have been availed and 416 trade licences have been renewed. A revenue of Rs 16 lakh has been earned in 20 days. Out of 29,100, still 8,026 trade licences are due for renewal, she said and added that the raids will be continued and penatly will be imposed on the violators.

An official said that there were about 75 shops without trade licence at the mall and most of them were closed by the owners themselves, after the serving of notices by the MCC. But several of them were still operating, he claimed.