Mangaluru (The Hindu): The Mangaluru City Corporation on Saturday continued its drive against business establishments operating without trade licences by closing down 30 such shops in Hampankatta.

The corporation has initiated this drive to ensure that the nearly 30,000 shops in the city operate with proper trade licences.

Since July, Mangaluru City Corporation officials, led by chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance Kavita Sanil, have been taking action against such shops.

On Saturday, an MCC team comprising health and environment officials, raided shops in the commercial complexes off the busy Ganapati High School Road. Officials had recently issued notices to 74 outlets in the locality for not renewing their trade licences.

The city corporation team first went to shops in Tokyo Bazar complex and sealed four outlets in the cellar of the building. They also closed down a newly opened business establishment that was operating using the trade licence of the neighbouring outlet.

Action was also taken to close down a few more shops operating in the first and second floor of the building.

As the Mangaluru City Corporation team went to check outlets in the commercial complex opposite to Tokyo Bazar complex, a few shop owners on the first, second and third floors of the building shut on their own. Officials later went to these outlets and sealed it.

Ms. Sanil took a few shop owners in the complex to task for dumping waste in the corners of the building. Notice was also served to the owner of a hotel in the complex for not keeping the place clean.

Ms. Sanil and MCC officials also sealed Mangalore Mini Mall that was found to be operating without trade licences.

By 1 p.m. the city corporation officials had sealed about 30 shops in the locality.