Communication gap over MHA order confuses Kolkata cops, store owners

TNN | Updated: Apr 26, 2020, 07:18 IST

Closed shops near Central Ave

KOLKATA: The first day of opening of shops in non-containment zones was fraught with confusions. In the first half of the day, many preferred to wait and watch. At many places, some shop owners who did roll their shutters up were asked by cops to pull them down again. A communication gap regarding what was allowed to operate led to many barber shops opening up and frantic calls being made about liquor stores. Eventually, the MHA notification reached everyone, saying the exemption was not for liquor, barber or paan-bidi shops.
However, markets like New Market, which is not a typical neighbourhood market, but located in the commercial hub, did not open on Saturday. “Unless the government allows public transportation and private vehicles to ply, we have no point in rolling up our shutters. We don’t cater to locals and our employees cannot come without public transport,” said Asok Gupta, president of SS Hogg Market Traders’ Association.

The hardware market at Chandni Chowk was also reluctant to start full-scale operations. Unless transportation starts, and plumbers and carpenters resume their services, we will incur losses if we reopen. Most of them are not allowed entry into households at present. There is no demand,” asked Azim Mohammed, owner of a carpentry items’ shop.
In Salt Lake, mostly smaller stores opened sporadically. “Many small store owners wanted to test the waters before full-fledged business. But the bigger shops cannot operate without employees,” said Arup Saha, owner of a jewellery shop near Karunamoyee.
In Behala, a number of lottery shops had opened, but cops asked them to close up. “The cops don’t seem to have received the communication from Nabanna. But I have the MHA order. So I will attempt again tomorrow. All my resources are exhausted. If we don’t reopen, we will have to starve,” said Shankar Das, owner of a lottery store at Behala Manton.
Few shops in Hatibagan and Shyambazar opened while the College Street book hub was shut. “It is congested here and we will not be able to maintain social distancing,” said Sudhangshu Dey, secretary of Publishers and Book Sellers’ Guild.