Checking Covid: Lucknow markets to extend voluntary closure till Monday

LUCKNOW: To break the chain of coronavirus infection, the traders in the state capital have extended the closure of markets till Monday.

President of All India Udyog Vyapar Mandal Sandeep Bansal said the decision of extending the closure has been taken by the traders considering safety of residents. “Earlier the decision was to close the shops till Thursday (weekly closure) but as we know the state government has announced lockdown on Saturday and Sunday so there is no point in opening shops for a day. The traders decided to close their establishments on Friday too to control the Covid surge,” Bansal said.

“The voluntary closure by traders has helped the administration in reducing pressure on the health care system. Had the traders not closed their shops the number of infected would have been much higher,” he said.

The Alambagh Traders Association, Bhootnath market traders Association, Indira Nagar Traders Association , Patrakarpuram Market Traders Association, Lucknow Electric Merchants Association, Lucknow Mobile Association, Garbarjhala Market Traders Association , traders of Pratap Market, Mohan Market, Loha Vyapar Mandal have also decided to extend voluntary closure till Monday.

Chandra Prakash of Hazratganj Traders Association said, “HTA has decided to voluntarily close the markets till Monday. Lucknow Booksellers Association has also taken a decision to voluntarily close all bookshops till Monday,” he said.

Aminabad traders have also decided to shut down shutters till Monday. Associations of Swadeshi market, Mohan Market, Pratap Market have decided to close their establishments till Monday. Jaspreet Singh of Aminabad Market Association said there was unanimity on voluntary closure.

The Chowk Sarrafa Association has also extended their closure till Monday.

Vinod Maheshwari of Chowk Sarrafa Association said, “The traders of Chowk have decided to close their shops till Monday and all jewelers of city too will join the voluntary closure.”

Meanwhile Nadeem Ahmed, President of Saptahik Dukandar Kalyan Samiti said, “The weekly market will remain closed till April 30 as we too want to contribute in stopping the spread of infection.”

Meanwhile Gokul Prasad of National Association of Street Vendors, Lucknow said, “We have appealed to street vendors not to put up their stalls till April 30.”