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Delivery blues hit residents hard, Chandigarh administration promises relief from March 26
Residents said they remained indoors to comply with curfew, but phone numbers of traders remained inaccessible
A day after making tall claims on ensuring essential services at doorsteps during the curfew, the UT administration floundered in taking confidence-building measures, keeping residents on the edge.
People were forced to venture out for buying medicines, milk and vegetables in violation of the curfew, defeating its purpose of social distancing. Residents complained that there was no clarity regarding relaxations, if any.
TEETHING PROBLEMS, SAYS PARIDA
UT adviser Manoj Kumar Parida, who had promised door-to-door delivery of essential items and newspapers in the city on Tuesday, said the central government’s lockdown order came when the administration was preparing to relax the curfew. “Just as we were preparing on Tuesday for sector-wise relaxation in the curfew on Wednesday, we got orders for a total lockdown. At night, we switched over to door-to-door delivery, which is facing some teething problems,” he said on Wednesday.
However, he promised things will be sorted out by Thursday.
Even though the Union home ministry’s directions on the lockdown clearly state two alternatives — keep the essential commodities shops open or facilitate home delivery — in Chandigarh residents complained none existed.
“While most residents kept their part of the bargain and remained indoors, the administration couldn’t deliver on its promise,” said Col Kulwinder Singh (retd), president, Residents Welfare Association, Sector 10.
DELAY IN UPLOADING HOME DELIVERY NUMBER
Till Wednesday evening, no contact numbers of suppliers was issued by the administration, even though two lists of contacts, said to be of vegetable vendors, came into the public domain via social media. However, several of these numbers were found switched off or non-responsive.
Another list tweeted by Parida on Wednesday morning, included the contact numbers of Panchkula vegetable vendors. He later deleted the tweet. “The phone numbers of vendors given for Manimajra are not operational. Residents of Modern Housing Complex (MHC) say no vegetable vendor visited their area. No passes were issued to vendors operating here. There are 3,000 houses in MHC, but not a single vegetable vendor came to the complex,” said Col Gursewak Singh (retd), president, RWA, MHC. MC officials also did not take calls, he added.
FEW AREAS GET MILK, VEGETABLE SUPPLY
Residents complained that milk was not delivered in some areas and shopkeepers in local markets were refusing home delivery. “We heard that a vegetable vendor was present in the sector but neither milk nor vegetables were available in our area,” said Varun Walia of Sector 39. Numbers of milk vendors given by the UT administration remained inaccessible. Neha Arora, president of RWA - HIG Upper, Sector 38 West, said milk packets were not available and people had to depend on local milkmen.
A few southern sectors got milk supplies late in the evening.
Grocery shops also remained closed even though residents ran short of essentials such as flour, eggs and bread.
In what appeared to be lack of coordination among different departments of the administration such as deputy commissioner’s office and the MC, an NGO’s request to supply 1,000 bags of flour to the needy in colonies went unheard.
MEDICINES SOLD OVER COUNTER
The three phone numbers provided by the administration to place orders for medicines remained inaccessible, forcing residents to visit chemist shops.
While two remained busy through the day, another remained “out of network coverage”.
“We do not understand why the administration provided only three numbers to residents. We are sending out contact information of pharmacies in each sector through Whatsapp groups to help people,” said Vinay Jain, general secretary of the Chandigarh Chemists Association. “Pharmacies were open in all sectors and were selling medicines over the counter,” he said.
Narinder Gupta, a pharmacist, who owns Gupta Medicos in Sectors 1 and 15, said the police roughed him up when he opened his shop on Wednesday. “Later, we were asked to open the shops with the assurance that cops won’t bother us. But no pass was provided, so I didn’t take the risk,” Gupta said, adding that he received more than 100 orders, but had to turn them down.
The administration will be starting door-to-door delivery of vegetables and fruits in Chandigarh Transport Undertaking buses from Thursday.
Claiming that 300 vegetable vendors were sent to various sectors on Wednesday, MC commissioner KK Yadav said, “Their supplies ran out as soon as they entered various areas. From Thursday, we will be using CTU buses, accompanied with police, for door-to-door delivery of vegetables. Measures to ensure social distancing will be taken.”
Similarly, municipal staff will supply milk packets at door steps. Shops of essential items, including medicines and groceries, will be open on Thursday, and residents can only place the order over telephone for home delivery.
The list of authorised shops for home delivery are available on the websites chandigarh.gov.in and chdcovid19.in.
“We have already issued curfew passes to the authorised shopkeepers and their staff,” said Yadav. A list of mobile ATMs will also be updated soon. The four ATMs vans will visit different parts of the city during fixed hours.
The administration maintained there will be no relaxation in the curfew and no person is allowed to venture outside. Violation of the curfew orders will invite action under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and a case under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code will be registered.
