New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) The Delhi government on Saturday formed a committee of senior officers to ensure COVID appropriate behaviour like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing in wholesale vegetable and fruit markets in the city.

The officers nominated as representatives in the committee will not be below the rank of sub-divisional magistrate or assistant commissioner, stated an order issued by Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

The committee will submit a detailed action taken report to the Delhi chief secretary by May 13, it said.

The order stated that the panel will take all requisite measures for ensuring compliance of COVID appropriate behaviour in all 'mandis' of Delhi as also for decongesting them so that social distancing norms and such other protocols are strictly followed.

"It will take all necessary decisions and actions for ensuring that all fruits sellers, hawkers and customers in 'mandis' are adhering to the norms of COVID-appropriate behaviour like wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing etc," the order stated.

The committee will also analyse the situation and take appropriate action for decongesting the markets through various measures such as staggered timings, allowing vendors on alternate days, removing illegal vendors and reducing the number of vendors and hawkers.

It will check if market authorities are taking all requisite actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These actions included regular sanitization, maintaining cleanliness and hygiene, and create public awareness on COVID appropriate behaviour, the order stated.

The committee's members will include functionaries of the Delhi Agriculture Marketing Board, representatives of police, district administration, civic bodies. Secretaries of mandis will be secretaries in the committee, it said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)