Order flouted in Rohtak as MC fails to number shops
Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, May 24
Most of the shops in all main markets of the city remained open, violating the government’s orders on the first day of the extended lockdown on Monday, as the Municipal Corporation (MC) failed to mark them as odd-even. A huge rush was seen on the main roads for the first time in the past three weeks. However, the police were deputed at the key points of the city.
“Traders and shopkeepers cannot be blamed for opening the shops, as their shops were not marked as odd-even. It was the duty of the MC to either to mark numbers on the shops or to apprise the shopkeepers of it, but nothing was done. The work of numbering the shops was done today. Hence, the shops will be opened as per the odd-even system from tomorrow,” said Gulshan Ishpuniyani, president, Shouri Cloth Market Association.
Raising questions over opening of shops from 7 am to 12 noon, he said this timing neither suited the shopkeepers nor the customers. “A large section of customers comes from villages and they reach the market after 10 am. The government should allow the shops to open from 10 am to 5 pm, or the relaxations won’t serve any purpose,” Ishpuniyani said.
Bittu Sachdeva, president, Quilla Road Traders’ Association, said they learnt about opening of the shops as per the odd-even system through media. “The customers were negligible, hence the shopkeepers spent time in cleaning the shops. Moreover, the timing of opening the shops is not suitable to the owners. The government should reconsider its decision,” he said.
DC Manoj Kumar said all shopkeepers were bound to follow standard operating procedures. “Those markets will be closed for three days if traders there are found keeping their goods outside the shops or on the government area,” he added.
Surendra Goyal, Land Officer at the MC, said five teams had been marking the shops since morning. All shops would be covered by night. “From tomorrow, a penalty will be imposed if shops open in violation of the odd-even system and beyond 12 noon,” Goyal added.
