No odd-even for vehicles, shop timings curtailed in Chandigarh
Shops selling non-essential goods to open too, under odd-even rule, between 10am and 6pm
CHANDIGARH: Modifying some of the relaxations and restrictions announced on Saturday, the Chandigarh administration on Sunday decided not to implement the odd-even formula for vehicles while reducing the market timings to eight hours from 12 hours.
The lockdown will continue for another two weeks while the curfew imposed in the city on March 24 will be lifted from Monday. The development comes after traders and resident bodies questioned the move, with even social media users pitching in.
In the detailed order issued on Sunday, the administration stated that all shops dealing in non-essential goods in internal sector markets (neighbourhood shops) will remain open from 10am to 6pm on odd-even basis. It means, shops with numbers ending with even digit will be open on even-numbered dates and those with odd on odd-numbered dates.
In the Saturday order, the timings were fixed as 7am to 7pm, corresponding with the window given for the movement of people. Shops selling essential goods, such as groceries, milk, vegetables and medicines, will remain open on all days. However, the relaxations don’t cover hotels, restaurants, discotheques, salons, barber shops, spa centres, gyms and apni mandis, and these will remain shut.
Meanwhile, shops selling liquor, paan, gutka and tobacco will have to ensure minimum sixfoot distance between customers, and also ensure that not more than five of them are present at one time in the shop. Also, only sale of liquor is allowed and taverns will remain closed.
The administration had on Saturday decided to lift the curfew while restricting the containment zones to six affected pockets, including parts of hotspots Bapu Dham Colony and Sector 30, where no relaxations are to be granted.
MALLS, CONGESTED AND MAIN MARKETS TO REMAIN SHUT
In view of need for social distancing, all congested markets, such as Patel Market in Sector 15, Gandhi Market in Sector 18, Sadar Bazar and Palika Bazar in Sector 19, Shastri Market in Sector 22, Janata Market in Sector 27, Krishna Market in Sector 41 and Rehri Market in Sector 46, will remain closed. Significantly, some of the market associations had declared on Sunday that they would keep their establishments closed on their own if there were no instructions from the administration.
Shops in Sector 17, malls and market complexes such, as Elante Mall, DLF Mall, and shops located on sector dividing roads, such as Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg, will also remain closed. Criticising the administrations decision on the Sector 17 market, Chandigarh Business Council president Neeraj Bajaj said: “Sector 17 has spacious shops with ample parking and verandahs. Social distancing could have been easily observed in the market.”
MOVEMENT PROHIBITED BETWEEN 7PM AND 7AM
All non-essential activities and people movement will remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm and 7am and residents will have to stay indoors as per the prohibitory orders issued by the district magistrate.
However, reversing the oddeven rule, all vehicles can ply between 7am and 7pm. Fourwheelers can have maximum two passengers besides the driver while a two-wheeler cannot have a pillion rider.
UT adviser Manoj Kumar Parida said: “We realised that oddeven rule for vehicles will be difficult for people when there is no public transport. Also, carpooling will promote infection, though it will prevent pollution.”
Also, persons above 65 years of age, those with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years have to stay at home at all times, except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposes, as per the national directives.
MANDATORY MASKS, RESTRICTED EVENTS
Wearing of face cover (mask) is also compulsory in public places as well as work places, as per the order issued on Sunday. Work places have to keep adequate stock of such face covers.
Meanwhile, no organisation or manager of public place can allow gathering of five or more people. Marriages related gatherings have to ensure social distancing, and the maximum number of guests allowed can not be more than 50. Funeral rites related gatherings too have to ensure social distancing and the maximum number of 20.
WHAT ABOUT MOHALI AND PANCHKULA
The satellite city of Mohali has already implemented the oddeven rule for shops. Meanwhile, even though the Punjab government has changed the curfew relaxation hours to 9am to 1pm, the Mohali administration is sticking to the old 7am to 11am timings.
Deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said on Sunday they are awaiting the written orders. During relaxation hours, people are advised to visit nearby markets on foot, he said.
The Panchkula administration also issued fresh directions on Sunday, dividing shops into three categories. In the A category, all shops dealing in essential items, such as bakeries, confectioneries, stationers, will be allowed to operate every day between 8am and 6pm.
The B category — plumber, electrician, AC repair, furniture — will open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and C category — toys, sports goods, jewellers, opticians, garment shops, dry cleaners — will remain open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the same time interval.