BHOPAL: A week after permitting a category-wise shop opening, the district administration has come up with a number system to allow business operations in the market.
The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been authorised to allot numbers--1, 2 and 3 to shops and each will thus be given two days to operate in a week. Only 33 percent shops will be opened on the given day.
The new order has earned the ire of the traders even as the administration has extended the timeslot of opening the shops till 8:30 pm from 7:00 pm.
As per new order, the shops allotted No-1 will remain open on Mondays and Tuesdays, the outlets having No 2 will run their business operations on Wednesdays and Thursdays. While the shops given No 3 will be opened on Fridays and Saturdays. Market will remain closed on Sunday in the urban areas. The shops will continue to open on the basis of old pattern of category-wise till the allotment of the numbers.
Not happy with the numbering system, New Market Business Association president Satish Gangrade said that it is very confusing and not practical.
“What will be the basis of allotting the number to specific shop. Old pattern of day-wise opening shops was not fine with us. Traders are gradually adopting the system and even customers were getting used to it and things were getting on track. Now the administration has come up with new numbering system which I find very confusing.”
Similarly, Akhil Bharatiya Vyapar Mandal Mahasangh general secretary Anupam Agrawal questioning the new pattern said, “ No doubt the system is confusing besides, there are roughly 26,000 shops in the capital so it will take some time in allotment of numbers. The day based system which was announced just last week is ok and customers had become familiar with it but now introducing a new system will create confusion.”
33 % shops to remain open on a given day: Pithode
Collector Tarun Pithode said, “ With the opening of markets, rush increased and so are the chances of coronavirus spread and to tackle this administration has decided to bring in number system for the shops.
Thirty-three per cent of the shops will be opened on Monday-Tuesday, whereas another 33% will be allowed to run their bossiness on Wednesday and Thursday. The remaining lot of 33 per cent will allowed to remain open on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday market will remain closed.”
