Srinagar, Jun 10: Business and other activities remained crippled due to lockdown imposed by the authorities to prevent spread of COVID-19 pandemic in summer capital, Srinagar, where a crucial meeting is scheduled to be held Wednesday afternoon between District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and traders association.
Meanwhile, the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) and other trade bodies have given an undertaking to district administration that Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be followed in letter and spirit during the resumption of business activities. However, the traders said resumption of business activities will prove fruitful only when transporters will be allowed to ply.
The district administration Baramulla in north Kashmir has decided that 50 per cent of the traders will be allowed to open their shops on rotational basis for limited time while as no shop shall be opened on Sunday.
Shops and business establishments remained closed in the main business hubs, including historic Lal Chowk, Regal Chowk, Maisuma, Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Dalgate, Batmaloo and Gonikhan. A number of shops reopened this morning at Mahraj Bazar but were asked to shut by police. Police personnel were also seen directing roadside vendors to leave in the civil lines.
Security forces had closed main road at Court road with barbed wire. Similar restrictions were also imposed in other areas of the city.
Unlock phase one from yesterday could not see any relaxation in the Kashmir valley, where barring Bandipora and Ganderbal all districts have been declared Red Zone following increase in the COVID-19 positive cases.
The Union Territory (UT) administration later announced that no relaxation will be given till further orders.
KTMF president Haji Mohammad Yaseen Khan said the traders had a meeting with Additional Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar on Tuesday about how to resume business activities during the lockdown. We have given a written assurance to administration that SOP and other guidelines issued by the government will be followed in letter and spirit, he said.
However, he said, there will be crucial meeting with DDMA chairman Dr Shahid Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, this afternoon to discuss other issues.
“We will also demand allowing public transporters to resume their services,” he said, adding without transport service opening of shops and other business establishments will have no use.
“Let us hope for the best,” Haji Khan said, adding implementing SOP will be in the interest of everyone, including traders and shoppers. “We hope to resume business activities from Thursday,” he said.
We have assured the administration that besides providing sanitizers, physical distancing will be maintained during the business activities, Haji Khan said adding shops and business establishments will function on odd even numbers.
Khan, however, said, administration too have to play a role to regularize customer rush near shops. Shoppers will be allowed inside the shop as per space, he said adding no customer will be allowed without mask.
He said business activities remained badly hit for the past ten months in the valley. From August 5, 2019 when center arrested politicians, traders and separatists, after scrapping Article 370 and dividing the state into two Union Territories (UTs) life came to halt due to curfew restrictions in the valley. However, when the business activities were on way to recover after about six months, life was again hit by COVID-19 pandemic.
About the other districts of the valley, Haji Khan said separate meetings will be held with the DDMA and district traders associations We will be going to south Kashmir in a couple of days to hold meetings with DDMA there about how to resume business activities.
KTMF president Khan, said a meeting between traders and DDMA Baramulla was held on Tuesday at Sopore.
He said Deputy Commissioner (DC), Baramulla Dr G N Itoo convened a meeting of the representatives of various trade associations and transporters at Sopore to discuss various measures pertaining to lockdown relaxation in the district.
On the occasion, threadbare discussions were held wherein various measures were thoroughly discussed to give relaxation in lockdown vis-a-vis minimizing the risk of infection.
The DC informed that district Baramulla has been declared as red zone keeping in view the present situation, so a proper mechanism has to be formulated to combat the pandemic.
He said, administration has decided that 50 per cent of the traders will be allowed to open their shops on rotational basis for limited time while as no shop shall be opened on Sunday
The DC stressed for strict implementation of the safety measures and advisories of health department including use of masks, sanitizer, social distance and fumigation and warned that any kind of violation shall be viewed seriously.
Dr Itoo said that Road Transport Corporation (STC) buses will ply on notified routes in the first stage and further relaxations shall be announced according to the improvement.
He also fixed the timings for opening of establishments of wholesalers, retailers, bakers and butchers and added that restaurants and hotels will work on order basis with home delivery, while as barber shops will work on condition to follow the guidelines in letter and spirit.
The representatives of trade bodies and transporters assured of full support from to combat COVID 19 pandemic; they however highlighted various problems with regard to drinking water, healthcare and electricity being faced by them.
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