Supermarkets, grocery stores allowed home delivery

LUCKNOW : Grocery stores and supermarkets, including Big Bazar, Spencers, Family Bazar and others can now ensure home delivery of essential food items. The announcement was made by Abhishek Prakash, district magistrate on Wednesday during a marathon meeting aimed to curtail the mad rush for rations which began on Tuesday night, soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-daylong pan-India lockdown in view of coronavirus outbreak.

“We have permitted provisional stores (kirana) to open during the 21-day lockdown but on condition that they would only facilitate home delivery. The stores will not entertain customers coming in person,” the DM said. As many as 8,000 delivery boys have been deployed for the purpose, he added.

Officials said for the purpose, around 30 such provisional stores that were capable of home delivery in different areas and localities had been identified.

The DM said the administration had also issued an order to the malls to allow the hypermarkets, including Big Bazar, Spencers, Family Bazar and others on their premises to operate. “We have ordered malls to let these hypermarkets operate and allow them to open their warehouses. However, we have also made it clear that only hypermarkets would be allowed to operate, not the malls.

The malls would remain closed for the masses and entry would be allowed only to the staff engaged with the hypermarket,” he added. He said area-wise contact details of the stores would be shared on social media through which orders could be placed. He said the malls and grocery stores had been directed to maintain social distancing and to ensure all precautionary measures while catering to the people. “At the same time, it will also help households running short of edibles,” he said.