Ujjain: City dwellers and shopkeepers were irked as they faced chaotic and embarrassing situation after realising that district administration has taken a U-turn in its decision to relax the lockdown in Ujjain.
The district administration held a meeting with public representatives and decided to withdraw its decision about the relaxation. Subsequently, cops began to make announcement about continuation of lockdown in the morning hours across the city on Saturday. Not only this, police opened cane charge on the innocent shopkeepers and shoppers who were caught unawares about the latest bungling of the district administration of Ujjain.
As per reports, as the lockdown 4.0 is slated to end on Sunday, the district administration held a meeting with public representatives on Friday and decided to provide relaxation in lockdown with time limit from 11 am to 5 pm for opening stipulated shops on Saturday and Sunday. But on Saturday cops prevented the shops from opening and forced the customers to return empty-handed from the markets. Reacting to administration’s U-turn shopkeepers and customers alleged that the situation turned ugly due to lack of rapport between district and police administration.
Chaos and confusion prevailed at Favvara Chowk and Daulatganj located wholesale kirana market, till afternoon. A CSP was seen announcing that no relaxation in the lockdown has been declared and people in the vicinity should cooperate by observing the norms of lockdown. Tea seller Ashok Jain Chaywala told Free Press that shoppers who turned up in about 2,000 two-wheelers in Favvara Chowk area were in for a shock as police asked them to vacate the market. Chaywala himself called ADM RP Tiwari who told him that no such order (pertaining to relaxation) has been issued. Meanwhile, cops reportedly opened cane charge on the shopkeepers and customers of readymade garment shops in Tower Chowk area.
/Collector amends previous orders/
Amending the previous orders collector and district magistrate Asheesh Singh provided some ease in lockdown on Saturday by allowing shops of specified items to resume business. As per new orders except in containment areas hardware, spare parts, agriculture equipment, fertilisers, pesticides and standalone grocery shops can resume operations from 11 am to 5 pm. The administration also allowed construction work being undertaken by government bodies.
Industrial units allowed to resume operations
District administration also allowed industries to start function, located in Agar Road Industrial area with proper sanitization, social distancing and other Covid-19 preventive measures.
Congress condemns ill-treatment of shopkeepers, customers
District Congress Committee (urban) condemned the ill-treatment meted out by the cops to the shopkeepers and residents of the city. The cops allegedly used abusive language, after the district administration took a U-turn on Saturday to relax the lockdown. District Congress head Mahesh Soni told that in areas like Kanthal, Gudri, Gopal Mandir and Chamunda Chouraha police forcefully sent the customers from the market and used abusive language while instructing shopkeepers to shut their shops. District Congress media in-charge Vivek Soni informed that Congress condemned such barbaric act of police administration and warned to stage protest in case of re-occurrence of such incident.
