Main Rd curbs ease but footfall yet to pick up

Ranchi: An added hour of relaxation of prohibitory orders on the 2.5km stretch between Albert Ekka Chowk and Sujata Chowk from Tuesday failed to cut ice with business owners who said the move was not
Though majority of the shops on the stretch opened for business on Wednesday, only essential ones drew customers.
The artery saw increased traffic movement and the parking lots of commercial places too were filled with vehicles. However, when TOI spoke to the business owners as well as owners of big establishments, they said business is yet to pick up and many blamed administration for the situation.
Talking to TOI, proprietor of Punjab Sweet House, Kush Bhatia, said: “This 12-5 pm window from Tuesday is a sham — it is neither helping us with any output nor income. Instead, the operational costs are turning into losses. We have to pay our staff, electricity charges and have to ensure that we are well stocked. But with a five-hour window, we cannot expect enough sales as customers aren’t turning up.”
Bhatia also questioned the administration’s action saying there is no point deploying forces on streets now. “The heavy police deployment you see on different chowks is a result of administration’s failure on the day of the protest. They should have acted on Friday afternoon when all these hadn’t started and they knew about the situation but sadly they didn’t and we are pay the price,” he added.
A few business owners in Church Complex, too, seemed unhappy with the administration. “Have you seen Ranchi DC, Ranchi SSP or any other senior official on Main Road patrolling after Saturday? The longer the prohibitory orders are in place, people, especially daily wage-earners will keep losing livelihoods. Normality should be restored,” said a chartered accountant who practises at Church Complex.
There was hardly any footfall at restaurants and shops at Church Complex as well as at Roshpa Tower and malls on Main Road.
Manager of Krshna restaurant on the ground floor of Church Complex, Rajesh Kumar Singh, said, “Only 5% of business has been revived. There are hardly any customer.”
A few jewellery shops, optical shops and medicine stores had a few customers on the stretch while most blamed the administration. “Customers who had placed orders before the violence came to pick up their glasses. But other shops still have very low footfall,” said Das Babu, a manager of a leading optical store on Main Road.