Thursday, 10 June 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Heavy rush was seen on Wednesday in marketplaces in Dehradun after the State Government allowed the opening of shops from 8 AM to 5 PM for three days on June 9, 11 and 14 amid the Covid curfew.
Markets including Paltan Bazaar, Hanuman Chowk and Moti Bazaar in Dehradun were brimming with people violating social distancing rules. Many could be seen without masks or wearing them pulled down that covered only their mouth or chin. However, most of the shopkeepers were wearing masks and using sanitiser regularly but the same was not true for many vendors like those selling fruits and vegetables in these marketplaces.
Talking about the plans to restrict Covid contagion in marketplaces amid the pandemic, the president of Doon Valley Mahanagar Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DVMUVM), Pankaj Masson said that the association is taking all possible measures to ensure that shopkeepers follow Covid-19 guidelines strictly. “We are glad that the government provided this relaxation but we are also afraid that this might cause a spike in Covid positive cases if proper precautions are not followed by shopkeepers and people visiting marketplaces. To ensure safety, we have formed teams of 10 people to spread awareness among shopkeepers and consumers to follow Covid guidelines to check the risk of Covid contagion. The team inspected various shops today across the marketplaces to ensure that the shopkeepers are following all the necessary guidelines,” said Masson.
The president of Doon Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DUVM), Vipin Nagalia has appealed to all the shopkeepers to avoid selling products to those consumers who do not abide by Covid guidelines. He said that the Covid cases are dropping in Uttarakhand and the State Government has provided relaxation to businessmen but this does not mean that people should be relaxed about the Covid contagion too. The members of the associations said that the businessmen are taking all the precautions because they do not want to go through another curfew or lockdown and the citizens should also do their part and follow the Covid guidelines to avoid it. They said that they can only spread awareness among consumers but authorities have main roles in ensuring the implementation of guidelines by people.
Meanwhile, the business associations also expressed their disappointment over some malls which were opened on Wednesday despite the orders of the State Government. According to Nagalia, some mall operators violated the government’s order as they were not allowed to operate malls during the Covid curfew. However, he added that the authorities did take action against them but all businessmen should abide by the rules of the government and cooperate in the current difficult times.
