Scramble to stock up after order on 6pm market closure

Gurgaon: All shops, including malls and markets, downed shutters at 6pm after the district administration implemented the state government’s closure order on Friday. However, stores selling essential items, such as pharmacies and grocery stores, were allowed to operate as usual.
On Friday, several people were caught unawares about the ruling. Many shoppers, who were not clear about the order, queued up at stores to buy essential items.
Anand Rastogi, a resident of Sector 56, said he rushed to buy groceries as there is confusion if it is a lockdown or just closure of shops. “It was, however, clarified by the shopkeepers that groceries and medical shops will remain open,” he said.
Malls on MG Road had set up barricades at the entrance and deployed guards to inform shoppers about the new ruling. Arvind Sharma, who reached MGF Metropolis mall with his family, didn’t know about the order. “There have been rumors about lockdown, but there was no clarity on that. So, we came out to buy some household items,” he said.
According to the deputy commissioner’s office, pharmacies and grocery stores have been exempted from the closure ruling of the state government. Also, restaurants and eateries have not been affected as food deliveries are allowed.
Deputy commissioner Yash Garg, in his order, said all shops, including shopping malls, community markets and other similar places, will be closed by 6pm everyday with immediate effect till further orders.
He also said essential categories like pharmaceutical stores and groceries are excluded from the closure order.
The compliance of the order, he said, will be enforced strictly by all executive magistrates, police officers and local bodies in their jurisdictional areas.
“Any violation of the same shall be strictly dealt with as per the provisions of sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Besides this, legal action under Section 188 of the IPC and other legal provisions will be invoked,” he said.
The order also stated though the city has witnessed an exponential increase in the number of Covid cases, the district administration is of the opinion that a clear distinction cannot be made between crowded and less crowded places.