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Chandigarh: Small shopkeepers, gym owners cry foul over Covid curbs
While the Chandigarh administration has ordered curbs in the markets of the city considering the rising Covid cases, shopkeepers of smaller and congested markets claim they are being unfairly targeted
While the UT administration has ordered restrictions in the markets of the city considering the rising Covid cases, shopkeepers of smaller and congested markets claim they are being unfairly targeted as many of them had to suffer heavy losses during the first and the second wave. They claimed that no reimbursements were given to them.
The president of the Shastri Market, Sector 22, Jaswinder Nagpal said, “How political rallies are allowed while shopkeepers have to bear the brunt of the administration’s order. Also, what logic is behind the 5 pm deadline? Many people get free from office at that time. This will affect our business.”
A similar situation could be seen in Palika Bazaar, Sector 19. Harpreet Singh, who sells blankets here, said booth markets were being singled out even as showrooms and street vendors were allowed to function without such curbs.
Lalilt Kumar, a shopkeeper in Palika Bazaar, said it was even more congested at the vending zones in Sector 19, which have no partition in between stalls. However, they are being allowed to function.
Devinder Bajaj, who sells clothes in the market here, said, “Customers are already not coming due to Covid. This is the time to clear our winter stock. If the restrictions continue, I will most likely go bankrupt.”
The administration has further said that retail customers and the general public will not be allowed to go to the Sector 26 mandi from January 10 onwards. This has also irked the shopkeepers here with Lohri around the corner.
Vijay Kumar, who sells dry fruits here, said, “Lohri is a big festival and if the customer can’t come to the market to make purchases, what will we do with our stocks? The government should have told us at least a month in advance so we wouldn’t have bought the stock.” Another dry fruit seller here, Satish Kumar, said they will face big losses because of this.
Meanwhile, gym owners are also not happy with the new order. Mohinder Singh, a member of the Tricity Gym Owners Association, said that they were trying to get the administration to listen to their point of view. “We are strictly following the social distancing and sanitising guidelines. Exercise help people remain fit and should be encouraged rather than asking us to close completely.”
Residents are also apprehensive whether these restrictions will lead to a rise in the rates of vegetables and fruits like last year. The chairman of the Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), Hitesh Puri said, “Vendors should be allowed to move through sectors as people may want to avoid the crowded mandis. However, there should be some check on the rates they charge, as last year they had started charging exorbitant rates for tomatoes and potatoes, while the mandis were closed.”
