In view of the continuing surge in Covid -19 cases in Jharkhand and especially in hotspot Ranchi, traders in different commercial clusters in the state capital have voluntarily announced a 'lockdown'.
Though the government has already ruled out re-imposing lockdown, traders' associations decided to close the shops for a period ranging from one to two weeks. Shastri Market popularly known as refugee market in Main road has decided to close down the shops for one week.
The Shastri Market in Main road which houses garments and clothing shops recently held a meeting where it was decided to close down the market for one week from April 18 to 25. The Shops will be closed from Sunday to Sunday. The Shastri Market trader’s association secretary Ranjit Gupta said, “The traders have decided to close down the shops due to surge in corona cases in past few weeks. For business purposes we cannot risk staff, customers and our lives.”
Sources said that the Shastri Market association decided to close down the shops as cases of corona are increasing day by day.
Their association voiced concern over the increasing number of cases and said the decision was taken in the interest of people.
Apart from traders at Shastri Market, under the banner of Lohardaga Chamber of Commerce and Industries too close down their shops on Sunday due to surge in corona cases in the district in past few weeks.
Recently, the state government decided that shops and restaurants will remain closed after 8 pm with an exemption to take-away services.
However, the traders feel that like Shastri market other trade associations too decide to close down their shops. Ankit Poddar a trader at Upper Bazaar area said, “Upper Bazaar area is one of the congested and crowded markets in Ranchi, in larger interest of traders the government should close down the shops in the area if they voluntarily fail to do so.” Poddar also said that in the Upper Bazaar area, the traders and customers are also not following covid protocols such as wearing masks, use of sanitizers and others.
The trader's demand to close down markets in the Upper Bazaar area has come at the time when the Hemant Soren government on Sunday announced some strict measures.
The Jharkhand government on Sunday announced postponement of the May 2 state civil services examinations and all other exams in schools, colleges and ITIs with immediate effect in the wake of mounting Covid-19 cases in the state.
As of now, all educational institutions and anganwadis will remain closed, while social gatherings like weddings would be allowed with only 50 people as opposed to the earlier announced 200.