Weekend lockdown: Confusion prevails among shopowners

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 13

The stricter lockdown remained ‘successful’ with no shop or commercial establishment was opened on Saturday.

With people did not have clarity over the orders, the suppliers of commercial goods, except medical stores, also preferred to shut their shops. Even many medical stores were also found closed in the Katra Sher Singh area known as medicine market.

However, liquor vends were allowed to open on day when everything else was closed. This came under severe criticism from the people side. They pointed out that if commercial activity was almost nil in view of ‘stricter’ lockdown announced in the state by the Punjab Government following rising cases of Covid-19, why the liquor vends are open.

“I don’t know what kind of message the government wants to give. Does liquor come under essential services? When people are not allowed to come out than why allowing liquor vends open?” said a local resident Saurabh Arora.

Meanwhile, people remained indoors and cops were deputed at various chowks and roads of the city. The traffic was also very less compared with normal days of the week.

There was complete lull in Hall Bazaar, Heritage Street and markets in the walled city. Lesser number of devotees came to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib, Durgiana Temple and other famous religious places. An official said as inter-district movement was also barred, the number of devotees was very less.

The police took out a flag march on the Lawrence Road area. Besides, it also issued challans to the violators who came out on roads without legitimate reasons.