After waiting for door-to-door supply of fruit and vegetables amid lockdown for two days, Panchkula residents had some respite on Friday, though they did complain of vendors charging exorbitant prices.
The district administration on Friday updated its list of designated vegetable vendors allowed to visit sectors, taking the total to 242. In addition to tractor-trailers, carts have also been allowed.
“Though the administration has streamlined the exercise to some extent, vendors are charging according to their whims. It needs to be checked,” said HC Gera, general secretary, resident welfare association (RWA), Sector 8.
“There is no supervision of officials tasked with keeping a vigil on vendors,” said Sunil Vashishth, president, RWA, Sector 15. “Also, the vegetables seemed to be stale.”
“Even calls made to incident commanders deputed to take up issues of the general public went unattended,” said RP Malhotra, president, Federation of Residents’ Association.
There were also complaints of skewed distribution of vegetable vendors among sectors.
Panchkula deputy commissioner (DC) Mukesh Kumar Ahuja said: “We have added more vendors in the list and the exercise is being streamlined. Besides vegetable vendors, shopkeepers dealing in ration, milk and bread have also been allowed to open shops. People can call them for home delivery. Arrangements have also been made to supply ration and vegetables from the Chandigarh grain market to wholesalers in Panchkula.”
{{/usCountry}}Panchkula deputy commissioner (DC) Mukesh Kumar Ahuja said: “We have added more vendors in the list and the exercise is being streamlined. Besides vegetable vendors, shopkeepers dealing in ration, milk and bread have also been allowed to open shops. People can call them for home delivery. Arrangements have also been made to supply ration and vegetables from the Chandigarh grain market to wholesalers in Panchkula.”
{{/usCountry}}Ahuja said there are 222 wholesale and retail traders in the district, who have adequate ration and arrangements to avoid any further problems. “People have been instructed to stand in circles outside shops to maintain social distance,” he said.
REVIEW MEETING HELD
Haryana assembly speaker and Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta also held a review meeting with senior officials on Friday. Union minister of state Rattan Lal Kataria was also present in the meeting, called to ensure supply of essential items and services in the district amid lockdown.
On vendors fleecing people, Gupta said they have been directed to carry the rate list finalised by the authorities. “It was also decided that there should be no restriction on vehicular movement to ensure home delivery of ration,” he said. Gupta said around 550 voluntary workers are willing to supply food and other essential items on the residents’ doorstep.
Meanwhile, Anand Mohan Sharan, principal secretary, social justice and empowerment, took stock of food and other essential items being provided to the needy at Sector 19, Ashiana complex in Sector 20, Saketri village and Mata Mansa Devi temple among other places. Panchkula subdivisional magistrate Dheeraj Chahal said 7,000 food packets had been distributed among the needy in colonies during the day while 5,000 more packets were to be distributed at night.