The Dehradun district administration had provided some relaxation to local shopkeepers during the festive season but from this week, all the shops and stores in marketplaces will remain closed on Sunday to contain Covid-19 contagion in Dehradun. This was informed by the additional district magistrate (ADM) BS Budhiyal while adding that the administration has also approached several business associations to convey this message to all the shopkeepers so that all follow the instructions on weekends.
However, the business associations of Dehradun have different opinions on this weekly closure of the markets. The representative of Doon Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DUVM), Vipin Nagalia stated that the members of the association met the officials of the district administration and the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) and decided that all the shopkeepers under the association will keep the shops closed on weekends. According to him, the sanitation in marketplaces by MCD cannot be done during a busy working day.
Therefore, they have advised the shopkeepers in the city to keep their shops closed for the next three Saturdays besides the Sundays to restrict the spread of Covid-19, added Nagalia. However, the members of Doon Valley Mahanagar Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DVMUVM) do not agree to this weekly off by the administration.
According to the president of DVMUVM, Pankaj Masson, the administration should keep the market closed during the working days if they want to contain Covid-19. “People work on weekdays and shop on weekends which gives an opportunity to shopkeepers to earn some extra money. Keeping the market closed on a working day will cause fewer crowds besides giving small shopkeepers a chance to earn some money on weekends," said Mass on.
If the administration is so persistent to keep markets closed on Sundays due to pandemic, they should restrict the opening of all the big stores and shopping malls besides necessary services in the city and not just the small shops in the main markets like Paltan Bazaar and Dhamawala, asserted Masson. He further added that he and his association will talk to the district magistrate this week regarding the same issue.
