Home delivery service begins in UP, to gather steam

LUCKNOW Home deliveries of essential items began in several Uttar Pradesh cities on Thursday, and were likely to pick up speed in the days to come. This was in sync

LUCKNOW Home deliveries of essential items began in several Uttar Pradesh cities on Thursday, and were likely to pick up speed in the days to come. This was in sync with the government’s steps for allowing and facilitating e-commerce and home deliveries during the 21-day lockdown.

HT Image

In some places, the district administration is also providing vehicles for home deliveries and issuing passes, along with coronavarius safety instructions, to delivery persons. The step will not only help ease crowding, to prevent spread of coronavirus, but also add convenience to the people.

MEERUT

A few e-commerce companies started delivering commodities to people while others were still discussing ways to take up the task.

Big Bazaar was the first to join hands with administration to ensure home deliveries of commodities to people.

Additional district magistrate (ADM) Ajay Tiwari said delivery from Big Bazaar has already started from Wednesday and discussions with Easy Day and other e-commerce stores are underway and hopefully Easy Day will also start home delivery soon. He said the administration has assured them assistance in their operations.

Sandeep Tomar, a representative of Big Bazaar, said the ADM has issued passes to more than 100 delivery boys and they have delivered orders to over 150 families in the city area since morning. Majority of people are placing orders for wheat flour, rice, cooking oil etc.

In their bid to give their optimum output, these workers have divided their work. While few receive the orders on phone, others ensure speedy deliveries.

Tomar, however, said deliveries were done only in the city areas and they don’t have services for rural areas.

Talking about precautions, Tomar said, “We are maintaining a distance of 6 feet. Apart from that we are wearing gloves and masks while we go out.”

Meanwhile, some fruit vendors and medicine shops have also begun home delivery of medicines and fruits without extra charges.

Amit Raj, a fruit shop owner in Civil Lines area has started home delivery of fruits for a minimum order of Rs 300 and in the radius of 5 km. “In case the distance is more, ₹40 will be taken as delivery charges,” said Amit. He said many new customers have approached him on phone for delivery since morning.

“Navratri celebrations are ongoing on and so demand of fruits has increased,” said Amit, who goes to deliver orders with his son.

Meanwhile, a number of medical stores of Khair Nagar area have also started home delivery service. Apurva Sharma, a medical store owner, said, “Passes were provided to us yesterday (Wednesday) and since then we have started delivering medicines at patient’s doorsteps. While I receive orders on call and Whatsapp, two delivery boys go for home delivery.”

VARANASI

Around 450 vehicles, including 325 four-wheelers and 115 two-wheelers, have been deployed to ensure home delivery in different areas of the district. The administration has deployed 412 persons with these vehicles to ensure timely home delivery of the essential items. Over 125 wholesalers have also been involved in home delivery. The administration has tied up with I-Basket, Swiggy, Drishtee, ITC and Patanjali for home delivery in Varanasi.

District magistrate Kaushalraj Sharma said: “To provide essential goods to citizens at their doorstep, home delivery service has been started in the district. Around 450 vehicles have been roped in to ensure home delivery of essential goods timely.”

AGRA

From Thursday, two retailer stores began home delivery of grocery items to residents. The Agra administration released the contact numbers of the concerned persons of the retail stores.

However, e-commerce companies dealing with non-food items have suspended home delivery these days due to unavailability of delivery passes, claimed an official at a renowned e-commerce company here on Thursday.

Popular food delivery e-commerce sites are also not operating in the city and when anyone tries to order food, the app says “currently we are not accepting orders.”

The official, who did not want to be named,“We have been asked to lock down and wait at home till April 14. Work can resume only if government allows delivery passes to us and permission to work.”

GORAKHPUR

The door-step delivery service for essential commodities was almost a failure in Gorakhpur on Wednesday. However, at some places, the food and civil supplies department ensured delivery of vegetables through hired autos and pick-ups.

Residents also complained that the phone number provided by the administration to order vegetables, medicines, milk etc either remained switched off or was inaccessible and the calls which were answered failed to offer any help.

On Wednesday, the administration released phone numbers of medical stores, grocery shops and milk and vegetables sellers, asking people to directly contact them for home delivery at prices fixed by administration. It also set up a control room with helpline numbers -- 0551-2201796, 2202205.

“I had to order some medicines for my father but the numbers provided by the administration remained busy or did not respond.” Ritesh, a local, said.

Another resident Akram said: “When I called up a medical store whose number was given in the list released by administration, the shopkeeper asked me to come to the shop by taking inside routes and saying he can’t deliver at my door step.”

District magistrate Vijyendra Pandia told mediapersons that “the administration was ensuring delivery of all essential good to people at their door step. He requested them to remain indoors and stay safe.”