Indore: People in large numbers came out of their houses to buy groceries as stores opened days after the new rule of letting grocery shops open only two day in a week came into force.
While the entire focus of the district administration was on the wholesale market of Siyaganj, there was a long queue outside the retail grocery stores and super markets as well.
After morning rush, the size of crowds reduced in the old markets of Siyaganj and other parts of the city, but serpentine queues of people waiting outside Best Prize and D-Mart stores braving scorching heat were witnessed till evening.
The mad rush for groceries exposed that the decision to let open ration shops only for two days in a week is counterproductive.
On Monday evening after market got closed, the administration had issued an order that ration shops in the city would be open only on Monday and Thursday, two days a week. In these two days, the time to keep the shops open was increased from 6 am to 5 pm.
Shops remained closed for two days on Tuesday-Wednesday.
On Thursday, when shops opened, people came out of their houses and panic buying started.
From morning onwards, there was a rush of customers from grocery stores in different parts of the city.
Knowing that the shops will open after three days, many people also bought additional ration.
No vehicle zone at Siyaganj
Police did not allow retail shopkeepers to take their vehicles inside Siyaganj, the wholesale shops market of the city, which let to lot of struggle and slogging.
Retail shopkeepers had hard time carrying their items to their vehicles parked one to two kilometers away from wholesale shops. Mukesh Jain of Vallabhav Nagar stated that the district administration would have to amend their decision of letting wholesale market and retail market on the same days. “It should be better if admission allow wholesale shops to open twice a week and retail shop all seven days. This will ease out the present panic situation,” he added.
