Vendors complain of travel blockages
The Hyderabad city police held a meeting with representatives of all essential services during which the latter brought their problems to the notice of the police.
The Telangana State Dairy Association appealed to the police to allow tankers into the city for distribution of milk.
The lockdown has also affected the movement of vegetables in the city as the commission agents are not allowed to come out.
Representatives of the drugs and pharmaceuticals industry stated that if the situation continues like this, there will be a shortage of medicines.
The police assured them that passes will be provided for required vehicles and persons to allow free movement of essential products in the city.
Sultan Masqati of the Telangana Dairy Association told Deccan Chronicle, “Milk tankers have been stopped at the state borders. They should be allowed in. There is also a shortage of packaging material for milk and fuel for boiling it. Due to curbs on movement of vehicles during the night hours, distribution of milk packets has been affected. There is also shortage of cattle feed and both green and dry grass.”
Mr Masqati requested that milk distribution vehicles be allowed to ply during the night so that the milk will reach the public on time. He also requested that supply of milk after 7 pm should be allowed as many milk vendors supply milk at night.
Explaining the difficulties in the vegetable markets, C Sanjay Kumar Gudimalkapur, a member of the vegetable market committee said, “There are around 40 members of the market staff and 200 members commission agents in the market. Due to the lockdown they are scared to come. Every day the markets do business of nearly `1 lakh. During the lock down it has come down to half (`50,000).”
Representatives of Bowenpally market, Monda market, and Mir Alam Madi market attended the meeting. Addressing a press conference afterwards, Anjani Kumar, Hyderabad city police commissioner said: “Total 10,000 police personnel are on their toes to protect the citizens of Hyderabad and break the chain of Covid19. In every business activity, there is a supply chain. Most of those involved in the same should commute. In view of this we called for a meeting.”
Mr Kumar said 900 passes have been issued, including 750 individual passes and 150 vehicle passes, to allow people to commute, and another 900 passes will soon be given. “We have opened a special mail id covid19.hyd.com to apply for the passes online. No need of coming to the commissioner’s office. We will contact the people who have applied for passes.”