Residents told not to panic on essential commodities

Amit Khajuria

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 16

A day after the district administration closed dhabas and restaurants in Jammu owing to coronavirus fear, people in the winter capital are in panic mode and have started storing ration and other essential commodities.

With the news of closure in Jammu, people have started storing necessary stock of essential commodities at home.

Sufficient foodgrains

People should not panic, as far as foodgrains are concerned. We have sufficient stock of foodgrain with us for the next three months. We are committed to ensuring the supply for Jammu and Kashmir — Deepak Gupta, general secretary, traders’ federation warehouse-Nehru market

“The administration announced Section 144 on Sunday and as per the prevailing situation, they may announce lockdown anytime in the UT. So, it is better to be prepared for such a situation,” said Rahul Sharma, a customer at a warehouse in Jammu.

“I have purchased ration for the next two months. You never know when the black marketers will stop the supply of masks and hand sanitisers,” he said.

Not only ration, people have started storing medicines, baby feed and other essential commodities as well. They have filled the fuel tanks of their vehicles also.

With the closer of restaurants and dhabas in Jammu, many people are left with no other option, but to rely on friends and relatives in the city, whereas the rehri and dhaba owners have criticised the orders of the District Commissioners for the closers of their shops.

“We are not paid by the government. This is the only source of earning for us. How will we feed our children if we close our shops for 15 days?” asked Ramesh Kumar, a dhaba owner in Jammu.

Meanwhile, the warehouse at Nehru Market, which caters to Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh for foodgrains, assured that it had sufficient stock of foodgrains and there was no need to panic.

“People are panic-stricken after the closure of dhabas and restaurants in Jammu and the demand for foodgrain has increased. However, traders from other districts are not coming to Jammu,” said Deepak Gupta, general secretary, Traders’ Federation Warehouse-Nehru Market.

“People should not panic, as far as foodgrains are concerned. We have sufficient stock of foodgrain with us for the next three months. We are committed to ensuring the supply for Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.