E-Paper
Ghaziabad traders confused as admin does not issue fresh orders allowing all markets to open on weekdays
A day after the Uttar Pradesh announced that all markets in the state will be allowed to remain open on weekdays (from 9am to 9 pm), traders in Ghaziabad on Monday
A day after the Uttar Pradesh announced that all markets in the state will be allowed to remain open on weekdays (from 9am to 9 pm), traders in Ghaziabad on Monday found themselves in a lurch as the district administration did not issue any directions in line with the state government’s announcement.
Despite the UP government’s order on Sunday, the traders in the district were forced to open markets alternatively and shut shops by 7:30 pm keeping in accordance with the previous orders issued by the district magistrate.
“Since Sunday evening, we have been waiting for a written order from the district magistrate about the opening of the markets and their closing/opening timings. The district administration has, however, issued no order despite the directions given by the UP government on Sunday. Our markets opened on an alternate day basis, and shop owners who were hoping that all markets will open on Monday were a dejected lot,” said Rajneesh Bansal, chairman, Turab Nagar Vyapar Mandal (a group of shopkeepers in the city).
“The trader community is miffed with indecisiveness shown by the district administration. At least, there should have been some guidelines or directions given to us by the district administration, in case the state government has still not issued any official order for opening markets on all five days. All traders were eagerly waiting to open their shops, but many of them could not,” he added.
Some traders even took to the streets in Sahibabad and raised slogans against the district officials as their shops were not allowed to open.
Following the state government’s announcement on Sunday that allowed all markets to be open from 9am to 9pm except for on Saturday and Sunday, district magistrate (DM) Ajay Shankar Pandey did not roll out any directive on the opening of markets in Ghaziabad till Monday evening.
When contacted, the DM said, “The previous orders will continue till the time we receive orders from the state government. The state chief secretary has told us that the order is in the process of getting prepared. So, we expect that it will get it by Monday night. The closing timing for all shops, in the meantime, will be 7.30pm ,” he added.
On May 22, the Ghaziabad administration had issued orders for alternate opening of 34 major markets in different areas from 10am to 5pm. In subsequent orders on June 8, shops were allowed to open from 9am to 9pm.
On July 2, the administration further revised timings for the shops (from 9am to 7.30pm), after the UP chief secretary on June 30 imposed night curfew from 8pm to 6am in six districts of Meerut division, which includes Ghaziabad. However, the extended night curfew restriction (8pm to 6am) in Meerut division were applicable only till July 10.
“The deadline of 8pm to 6am curfew in Meerut division has ended now, but still traders have to shutdown shops at 7.30pm. Markets in Indirapuram and Vaishali did not open on Monday as their turn for opening falls on Tuesday. So, many traders lost one-day earnings despite the new directions issued by the state government. We tried to contact district officials as well, but no one responded to our calls,” said Pradeep Gupta, convener of Vyapari Ekta Samiti, Indirapuram.
According to the May 22 directions, major markets in Indirapuram, Vaishali, Sahibabad, Bjaria, Gandhi Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Mohan Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Turab Nagar among others are allowed to be open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The markets which are allowed to open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday are Vasundhara, Kaushambi, Raj Nagar District Centre, Kavi Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Shyam Park, Raj Nagar Extension, Navyug Market, Ambedkar Road and those in Delta Colonies of Ramprastha, Brij Vihar, Surya Nagar, and Chander Nagar.
