Close on the heels of recent crackdown on unhygienic cafeterias, groceries and restaurants in the Industrial Area, Doha Municipality officials yesterday raided several unlicensed groceries and eateries operating from accommodation units in the area.
Most of the outlets raided by the authorities were located in accommodation units between Street 33 and Street 38, it was learnt. The “groceries” have not only been instructed to shut down immediately, but their operators also need to pay fines for running commercial activities inside workers’ camps without a licence.
Those who accompanied the officials said more than 60 unlicensed groceries were raided by the municipal authorities yesterday. Many of them had large stocks of goods at their disposal at the time of the raids, they added.
Besides supplying essentials to the residents of labour camps, their operators also sold snacks to those living in the accommodation units.
It is understood that the municipal authorities issued warnings more than once to the operators in recent weeks before conducting the “surprise
inspections” yesterday.
The latest crackdown comes about three weeks after a similar raid in the area, which saw the termination of licences of several cafeterias. It was reported that more than 80 cafeterias and groceries were closed in the previous raid.
The municipal authorities have warned of further inspections in the accommodation units in the
coming weeks.
Meanwhile, residents of some of the labour camps in the Industrial Area said they were forced to walk long distances to buy even essentials due to the closure of cafeterias and groceries.
A municipal official preparing a report after raiding a shop on Street 36 in the Industrial Area. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam
