There is no doubt that the administration is trying it's best to save the citizens from the current crisis of Corona Virus and the felicitations that they are receiving all over India is 100% justified. I would, however, like to bring to your notice some of the decisions that actually don't make sense as per the feedback and the reason received from the people concerned, and my general observations regarding the effect of these decisions.
To be specific, I am talking about the Last Morh area of Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. This area has a small market of 10 to 15 shops. Out of these most are those of essential commodities. This is a very popular market with a big clientele. It feeds areas of Gandhi Nagar, Nai Basti, Rampura, etc. My observations are as follows:
A few weeks back the karyana/ general merchants shops that are 4 in number were told to open in rotation. Two at a time on alternate days.
The reasons cited were :
To reduce traffic issues
To improve parking facility
To maintain social distancing.
If there is a lockdown in progress, then what traffic issues? Are we fighting traffic or Corona? Is somebody missing the bigger picture here? Reducing the number of shops will only put pressure on the shops that are open. There is bound to be a rush in those shops. Common sense says that if people need essential commodities they will try to get them irrespective of the risk involved.
Secondly, on the same basis, how many times were police / parking attendants deployed to maintain parking in the past history of the market? Was it mandatory for the shopkeepers to provide parking attendants / space? Whose responsibility was it? Most of the people who come to this market are on foot. So what parking? If a few people are not parking their vehicles properly, in that case, were they fined by the authorities? Is there proper parking made available to this market where all the vehicles can be parked? Then again, are we currently fighting parking issues or Corona?
Thirdly, I would like to ask, how many police personnel were deployed to maintain social distancing in the market? If the personnel were deployed and were not able to get the job done, that has resulted in this decision, what action was taken against those personnel? Now if the personnel were able to maintain social distancing, then why the decision to open in rotation?
Now there has been an update….. The medicine shops are also told to open in rotation …. The reasons are the same… but medicine shops???? You have got to be joking. Today I saw two police personnel deployed there to maintain parking….why can't they maintain parking with all the shops open? If all the shops are open the time spent in the market will be reduced …. Again the rush of all medicine shops will be on one medical shop…Does it increase the chances of Corona? If yes then who has ordered this system to be implemented? Was it implemented after some forethought?
Why can't we supply the medicines and ration at home? A whatsapp number can be publicized and the same can be advertised through banners, boards outside the shop and through local TV and newspapers and phone messages. This will help reduce the rush and chances of contracting Corona not to mention the waiting period of the people who are going out to these shops.
Regards
Rakesh Nanda
