As many as 18 firms in the Capital were booked on Monday for selling unhygienic goods, shortchanging customers, operating without registration and obtaining permanent account number (PAN) as the government agencies intensify market monitoring.

According to the Ministry of Supply, three cold stores, two fruits shops, three vegetable suppliers, seven clinics and pharmacies, two petrol pumps and a number of public vehicles were taken action.

Variety Cold Store based in Nakkhu, Lalitpur was ordered to shutdown after it was found to have been selling non-hygienic meat and a government inspection team destroyed 78kg of chicken and mutton. The team has asked the firm’s proprietor to fulfill the required standards and report to the Department of Supply Management within seven days, according to the ministry.

Likewise, DK Cold Store at Prayagpokhari in Lalitpur also faced action for failing to maintain hygiene in the shop and not keeping a price list. DM Meat Centre at Lagankhel in Lalitpur was found to have been operated under different names than the one registered with the authority. The monitoring team also found that the shop owner has not obtained PAN.

Also on Monday, two petrol pumps in Lalitpur—Sajha Petrol Pump at Pulchowk and Mahayan Petrol pump at Kumaripati—were sealed after being found selling short measures of diesel during a routine inspection.

Among the clinic and pharmacy shops, SS Medical Store in Gaththaghar was found to have sold Flucort Cream at a higher price than its maximum retail price and failing to produce a certificate of pharmacist. The inspection team asked the firm to report to the department and submit the certificate along with a clarification letter within three days.

SS Clinic, Samjhana Laboratory, Shree Gathaghar Ultrasound Clinic at Gaththaghar and Araniko Highway Polyclinic at Suryabinayak were found to be operating without registration with the District Public Health Office, Bhaktapur. All of these clinics have been sealed, the ministry said.

As far as fruit and vegetable shops are concerned, Dhital Fruit Centre, Anita Fruits and Vegetable Market, Shubham Dairy Products and Vegetable Suppliers, Kaji KC Vegetable shop and Mahendra Pandey, a vegetable seller from Machhapokhari, Kathmandu, were also booked for selling decayed items and operating their business without registering with PAN, according to the ministry.