BERHAMPUR: Resentment is brewing among retailers of Bada Bazaar following the directive of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) to close grocery and vegetable shops in seven streets of the city.The BeMC on Monday said since shopkeepers are not following the social distancing guideline despite repeated requests, their establishments will be closed from Tuesday noon till further orders. However, the civic body has exempted wholesale grocery dealers from its order.
As per the order, a total of 250 shops have been asked to close. Sources said the retailers in these seven areas had already stocked their outlets with plenty of commodities and vegetables, which are perishable items. “The civic body has asked us to sell or shift our stocks in a short span of time which is a difficult task under these circumstances,” alleged the retailers.
They further claimed that though shopkeepers at Bada Bazaar are abiding by the social distancing norm, it is impossible to prevent gathering due to narrow lanes.On Tuesday, a group of shopkeepers met BeMC Commissioner Chakraborty Singh Rathore and apprised him of their difficulties. They complained that they will be seriously affected due to the sudden decision. “It is impossible for us to sell all the stock, particularly the perishable items, at such a short notice,” they said.
The retailers further said since the entire market area has adequate deployment of police personnel to enforce social distancing norms, they should be allowed to open their shops.However, official sources said the BeMC authorities refused to revoke the order but agreed to provide temporary selling points for potatoes and onions. The civic body has also requisitioned seven schools where temporary wholesale points will be set up. While four schools are located within 1-1.5 km from Bada Bazaar, the rest are at a distance of around 3 km.