PUDUCHERRY: Even as the Puducherry Traders Federation (PTF) began doorstep delivery of groceries from Friday, the concern is that the stock of provisions is running out with wholesale stock set to last only for a week to 10 days.
Retail shops particularly in the rural areas just have stock to last three to four days, M Shivashankar, President of PTF, told The New Indian Express. The items are not reaching the rural areas from the wholesale dealers in the town due to the lockdown regulations imposed by the government. The retail shops in the town areas have a stock to last a week.
The groceries have to come via Tamil Nadu from Chennai and other places and the trucks carrying the loads are not reaching Puducherry. There is a delay due to the lockdown as trucks are not able to cross the border easily. Besides, a smaller number of truck loads are reaching wholesale dealers in Chennai, from where wholesale traders get their items. Unless the situation is addressed soon, there could be scarcity of provisions in Puducherry, he said.
A meeting of all traders was convened on Friday to discuss the issue, which will be taken up with the Chief Minister and other authorities, he said.
Door delivery of provisions begins
Meanwhile, the Puducherry government in association with the Puducherry Traders Federation has begun home delivery of essentials to residents to prevent them from coming out of their houses during the three-week lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said that the arrangements have been made to supply groceries, vegetables and fruits to the doorsteps of residents.
People have to log on to the website of Puducherry traders Federation https://bit.ly/PTFSupply for placing orders. The orders can be placed in English and Tamil. They have to give their address and phone number to get the items which will be delivered within 24 hours.
For those who are not tech savvy, they can place the order through the WhatsApp number of the coordinator of the PTF. The PTF has placed coordinators in 23 constituencies in Puducherry with their mobile numbers .
The PTF has tied up with departmental stores and grocery shops in all the 23 constituencies to whom the orders will be passed and they in turn will deliver the items orders to the residence of the customer, said Shivashankar.
Initially only groceries would be supplied and thereafter vegetables and other items too would be home delivered, he said.
On Friday, groceries were supplied to around 150 residences, he said.
General Secretary of PTF S Balou and Coordinator M Siddique Rehaman would assist in the distribution, said Sivashankar.