Weekend curbs: Shops shut, roads wear a deserted look
JALANDHAR/AMRITSAR/LUDHIANA: All the shops, except those selling essential goods, remained closed across the state on Sunday with the state government imposing stricter lockdown restrictions on weekends. Roads in most parts of the state too wore a deserted look.
The Punjab government on Thursday ordered stricter lockdown on the weekends and public holidays. The decision to tighten the curbs on weekends and holidays was taken amid apprehensions of Covid-19 reaching the community spread stage in Punjab and projections indicating that the peak in the state was still two months away.
Cops were deployed in adequate numbers across the state for implementing the lockdown strictly, officials said. Inter-district movement was barred except for people with e-passes, they said, adding that no pass was required for such travel in case of a medical emergency.
There was no rush of people in Ludhiana’s main markets of Jawahar Nagar, Kesar Ganj, Field Ganj, Sarabha Nagar and Chaura Bazaar. Reeling under losses, shopkeepers rued that business was slowly moving back on track, but the decision to impose a lockdown on weekends has hit the market badly.
Seeking review of the orders, the market associations in old city areas are also contemplating an agitation against the state government.
Though liquor vends and restaurants remained open, there were hardly any customers.
There was a drastic decline in the footfall of devotees at the Golden Temple in the morning on the occasion of ‘Sangrand’ (beginning of new month).
Similarly, the markets in Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot remained closed, barring liquor shops and those dealing with essential commodities.
In Mohali, policemen were checking vehicles coming from Chandigarh and other parts.
In Jalandhar, all markets, including Rainik Bazaar and Phagwara Gate, except shops dealing in essential goods remained closed in Jalandhar.
The district remained Covid-19 hotspot with total 329 positive cases, second highest after Amritsar. Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Punjab’s first coronavirus hotspot, too remained shut.
SEEKING REVIEW OF THE ORDERS, LUDHIANA MARKET ASSOCIATIONS CONTEMPLATING AN AGITATION AGAINST THE STATE GOVERNMENT