All markets closed till May 3

TNN | Apr 30, 2020, 04:00 IST

Markets closed on Wednesday

Varanasi: In view of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the past four days, all markets including medical stores remained closed on Wednesday. The district administration has decided not to allow sale of any articles including essential commodities within the limits of Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) till May 3.
Following the confirmation of three more Covid cases, DM Kaushal Raj Sharma held a meeting with all departments concerned to finalise the strategy to maintain proper supplies of all essential goods without letting people step out of their homes. After the meeting, the DM said that markets will remain closed till May 3.
All essential items including grocery, vegetables, milk, medicines and LPG cylinders will be made available through home delivery services only till 6 pm. Eight vegetable wholesale markets including Bhojubir, Lamahi, Pahadia, Panchkroshi, Chanduasatti, Sunderpur, Ramnagar and Nuao will be opened between 3 am and 6 am for cart vendors and retailers from May 1. The date for opening the medicine wholesale markets of Saptsagar, Bulanala and Nehru Market Maidagin will be decided soon.
“Traders of essential goods have been issued passes for home delivery services and their numbers are available on VMC portal,” said the DM. Only those with medical emergencies can enter the limits of VMC. FIRs will be lodged against against anyone else trying to enter, said Sharma.
All private hospitals will remain open and their pharmacy shops can operate round the clock, Sharma said adding, banks and government offices have been allowed to open for essential services.
Petrol pumps, organisations engaged in food distribution will remain exempted while officials of agencies authorised to conduct construction can go to work only after passes are issued to them.