After Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal instructed officials to take immediate action against those involved in black-marketeering and artificial price hikes, the Supply Ministry has intensified market monitoring in the Kathmandu Valley.

A total of 12 joint market monitoring teams were deployed on Tuesday.

A team led by the Supply Ministry sealed Bhat Bhateni Food Products, the main supplier of food items to Bhat Bhateni Super Market, after finding the company’s involvement in repackaging expired products. The ministry has summoned the proprietor for clarification.

Under-secretary Prem Prasad Acharya said the ministry will take action against the company, if found guilty, under the Consumer Protection Act 1998.

On Monday, warehouse of another leading retail chain Big Mart, was sealed for storing expired products. The government team on Tuesday handed over the Kalopool-based warehouse’s official Gopal Thapa to the police on charge of tampering with the seal pasted on product by the government authority.

The Department of Supply Management (DoSM) has also written to the Metropolitan Police Circle to arrest Big Mart’s proprietor.

Similarly, an inspection team destroyed 799 packets of packaged food unfit for consumption stocked at Lazimpat-based Mega Mart.

Another retail chain to face action was KK Mart. The Supply Ministry team destroyed a large quantity of expired food items stocked at the chain’s Baneshwor, Mangalbazaar and Lagankhel outlets.

Likewise, the DoSM team sealed two medical clinics (MV Polyclinic and Diagnostic Centre and Sinamangal Healthcare and Diagnostic Centre) and a drug store (Gyan Ganga Pharmacy) at Sinamangal for their failure to renew their operating licenses.

Also, production plants of Greenwary Mineral Water Industries, Prachee Spring Water Solution and Budhanilkhantha Mineral Water were shut for operating without licences and not pasting “neck-seal” on their water bottles.

A team also destroyed 183kg of unhygienic meat stocked at Chicken House at Sorahkhutte. DoSM Director Laxman Shrestha said the shop’s proprietor has been asked to furnish clarification in three days.

A diesel dispenser of Bhaktapur-based New Maheshwori Fuel Station was also sealed after finding it defective.

Sitaram Gokul Milk based in Kirtipur was also among those facing action. The company was found supplying milk contaminated with coliform, a type of microbe that can cause diarrhoea. Shrestha said the team has collected milk sample for further investigation.

A monitoring team also sealed Shiva Shankar Sweets based at New Road for selling unhygienic food products.

According to Shrestha, one of the teams also handed over four microbus drivers to the police on Tuesday. The drivers were found charging exorbitant fares to passengers.