BHOPAL: Traders in the state capital distributed essential items to customers in the morning hours with half their shutters down on Wednesday. They maintained a lenient attitude towards their customers during the lockdown—allowing some to enter their shops for collecting essential items, while, at the same time, serving those waiting outside their shops with patience and dexterity.
Lockdown restrictions have been relaxed for milk vendors for two hours in the morning and the traders seized upon this short window of time to open their shops partially with half their shutters down to serve their customers during festival time. The traders, too, have demanded permission from the administration so that they, too, can open their shops fully to sell essential items in the morning hours.
Besides, vegetable vendors moved around in the colonies so that people could stock up their larders at their convenience. Although the rates were on the higher side, people got the vegetables they wanted. These vendors came with their wares on loading autos as the vegetable shops, themselves, remained closed. Public movement has been totally restricted.
‘Admin must consider’
"The administration took a lenient stand in this matter. Thok Bazaar is closed, but the retailers are distributing essential items with half their shutters down, following all Covid norms with strictness. In fact, the administration should consider that the lockdown was imposed all of sudden and people did not get enough time to buy their essential items and, so, a decision should be taken immediately in this regard," said Anupam Agrawal, general secretary, Thok Vyapar Mandal.
‘No leniency as of now’
"The administration hasn’t taken any decision on showing leniency towards shops selling essential commodities. We’ll maintain all strictness as the number of corona cases is increasing by leaps and bounds. We have to curb the corona cases on a priority basis and the people should cooperate. Only essential services have been exampted during the lockdown. Leniency leads to public assembly and gatherings, which we can’t afford right now," ADM Jamil Khan remarked.
