Weekend curbs: Ghaziabad admin to fully implement govt’s order, markets to open five-day a week

Ghaziabad: Traders in the district got a big relief on Tuesday after the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary issued a formal government order for weekend restrictions

Ghaziabad: Traders in the district got a big relief on Tuesday after the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary issued a formal government order for weekend restrictions in the state, ending the two-day uncertainty over the opening of markets for five days a week.

HT Image

On Tuesday, the Ghaziabad administration said that the order will be fully implemented, thus allowing the markets in the district to open from Monday to Friday between 9am and 9pm. The different markets in the district were operating on alternate days.

“The order issued by the UP chief secretary will be fully implemented and all directions mentioned therein will be fully applicable in Ghaziabad,” said Ajay Shankar Pandey, district magistrate, Ghaziabad.

In his order on Tuesday, state chief secretary RK Tiwari said that the restrictions would be in place from 10pm on Friday to 5am on Monday till further orders to contain the Covid-19 spread in the state. During this period all markets, haats, mandis, commercial establishments, all government offices (barring those engaged in essential services and banks) shall remain closed, the order said.

“Any other day for scheduled weekly closing will be shifted to Saturdays and Sundays and weekly markets, operating on Saturday/Sunday will function from Monday to Friday. All religious places may open during the period while observing social distancing and health protocols. The industrial units, including IT and IT-enabled services, will continue to function as usual. Railways and UP roadways will function normally like before. Mandis and shops dealing in fruits and vegetables will remain open as usual,” the order stated further.

The order has brought a major relief for traders as they were opening their shops for three days in a week.

“Extended timing will increase sales and efficiency of work. Now, with the UP government order, there is no confusion. The market sentiments will also improve and all traders will work in accordance with the timings and days of opening applicable for them,” said Pradeep Gupta, convener of Vyapari Ekta Samiti – Indirapuram.

Rajneesh Bansal, chairman, Turab Nagar Vyapar Mandal, said, “The alternate day opening had given rise to number of disputes between shop owners and tenants over non-payment of rent. In order to settle the disputes, monthly rentals have been halved till the restrictions continue. Now, with revised timings and five-day week opening, customers will also be benefitted as they can move around in different markets in a single day which was not possible with alternate day opening.”

On Sunday, the government had announced that all markets in the state would be allowed to open from Monday to Friday and they will remain shut for two days on weekends for cleanliness and sanitization drive in order to break the chain of infection. But the Ghaziabad DM had said, “The administration is waiting for the government order about opening of markets. Once we receive it, we will be implementing the directions.”

Apart from alternate opening days, the markets in Ghaziabad remained shut on Sundays while traders had to deal with different opening and closing timings announced from time to time.

On May 22, the Ghaziabad administration issued orders for opening of 34 major markets in different areas from 10am to 5pm. There were subsequent orders that all shops would be allowed to open from 9am to 9pm from June 8. On July 2, the administration further revised timings for shops (from 9am to 7.30pm) after the UP chief secretary on June 30 directed for imposition of night curfew from 8pm to 6am in six districts of Meerut division, which includes Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts. However, the extended night curfew restriction (8pm to 6am) in Meerut division were applicable till July 10.

The state government had directed for two-day weekend restrictions for the first time on July 9.