EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, June 13: After remaining closed for over more than two months, shops and other business establishment opened in Srinagar city on Saturday after Srinagar administration had ordered few relaxations after Covid-19 lockdown.
District Magistrate Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary on Friday had notified a schedule with conditions for re-opening of shops and business establishments in Srinagar from June 13 after the Covid19 lockdown. The schedule was announced the schedule comes after consultations with stakeholders in which the trade and business associations were sensitized about notified SOPs for COVID19 containment.
As per the Operationalization of business establishment and shops under SOP’s, shops and business establishment like bookshops, stationery, Chemists, Medical Products, Grocery, Fruits, Vegetables, Milk and Milk Products, Meat, Poultry, farming products, repair workshops, e-commerce and courier, hotels, restaurants, for home delivery, take away, and bakery and other essential products re-opened.
It also included shops like Handicrafts, handloom, hardware, building material, furniture, furnishing, automobile, service stations, saloons and beauty parlors and barbers, which re-opened from 11:00 AM to 5:30 Pm.
While as, shops and another business establishment, will re-open as per the schedule mentioned by the Srinagar administration from Monday. Meanwhile, a sigh of relief was witnessed among shopkeepers as they re-opened their shops after more than two months, but witnessed a little rush of customers.
“It was after a long time I re-opened my shop. It had happened before when shops remained closed in the valley amid strikes and curfew. But, the situation is totally different this time. It is Covid-19 pandemic and we all have to follow procedures”, said Ghulam Mohammed, a shopkeeper.
He added, “We were very much worried about our shops. As of now, we have maintained all the SOP’s set up by the local administration and are requesting our customers to follow the same s we don’t want to risk any life. Though the sale has been quite low, it is better than nothing and hopes it will increase in the coming days.
Meanwhile, many shops in the Lal Chowk area, which is the main business in Srinagar, also re-opened today. The trader’s federation met the District Magistrate Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Choudhary earlier this week and had requested over re-opening of shops in Lal Chowk. Reports said that a good amount of traffic was witnessed at Lal Chowk, where many shops re-opened as per the schedule set by the administration.
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