BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: With the state government weighing various options for stricter containment measures amid a massive spike in coronavirus cases, community involvement seems to be taking precedence during the second wave of the Covid pandemic in Odisha.
A day after the traders' community in Ganjam decided to close shops from 2 pm to 5 am for the next 10 days in urban areas of the district, different traders’ associations and market committees in Cuttack on Friday announced that the business establishments in the Millennium city will remain open from 5 am to 2 pm from May 3 to 18.
As per the decision taken at a meeting of different traders bodies, including Cuttack Chamber of Commerce, Malgodown, and Chhatra Bazar traders associations, all shops and business establishments will remain closed from 2 pm to 5 am from May 3 in view of the surge in coronavirus infection.
However, shops dealing with medicines, medical equipment, and surgical items will be excluded from the new regulation, which will remain in force for 15 days till May 18.
General Secretary of Cuttack Chamber of Commerce Prafulla Kumar Chhatoi said all the associations of traders and vendors have unanimously agreed to reduce the market timing to curb the spread of the virus.
“The unprecedented surge in new cases forced us to convene an emergency meeting and decide to go for strict measures to keep ourselves and the community protected from the infection. All merchants and even make-shift vendors voluntarily came forward to close shops during afternoon and evening,” said Chhatoi.
Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) lauded the decision of the traders’ associations and urged the people of the city to support the initiative and abide by the new timing. “The vendors sou-moto decided to pull down shutters from 2 pm to 5 am. We hope this will help contain the spread of the infection,” said CMC Commissioner Ananya Das.
On April 26, merchants and vendors in nine small towns in Kalahandi had announced to close their shops till May 2. Vegetable vendors were allowed to operate till 10 am for the convenience of people.
Earlier this week, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had called for community-level involvement urging people to take such initiatives whenever required to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Praising the efforts of merchant associations and traders, who have limited their business activities and closed down shops voluntarily, the Chief Minister had asked Collectors to work towards these kinds of community-owned initiatives and make resident associations, merchant bodies, and various community-based organisations partners to contain the pandemic.