Ongole: Not right moment to open shops full time, traders told
Prakasam District Collector Dr Pola Bhaskara explaining to the merchants and shop owners about the prevailing conditions of Coronavirus in Ongole town on Monday
Ongole: The Prakasam district collector Dr Pola Bhaskara announced that they cannot permit the opening of shops and commercial establishments for full time in the town due to the rampant increase of Coronavirus cases.
He organised a meeting with various associations of commercial establishments and traders in the Spandana building on Monday and discussed the implementation of the containment action plan with them.
The Bapuji Market Complex Association president K Satyam, Ongole town commerce association president B Gowri Sankar, Fancy Merchants Association president D Sriramulu, Kurnool Road Shop Owners association president C Lakshman Kumar Reddy, Two-wheelers association president G Dharmarao, Hotels association member Srihari explained to the collector that they are facing losses and financial burden due to the lockdown conditions. They requested him to give permissions to open the shops and businesses while taking precautions for the control of infection due to Coronavirus.
The collector explained to them that district administration is striving hard to contain and control the Coronavirus in the district. He said that no relaxations can be announced in the containment instructions, but clarified that the essential commodities shops can be opened from 6 am to12 noon in the town. He asked the merchants and shop owners to understand that they are implementing the containment restrictions only when the positive cases are reported and assured that they may get relaxations only when no positive case is registered in their area. He announced that the government is not seeing a favourable atmosphere to permit the opening of shops in the town.
The collector observed that moving outside indiscreetly is a violation of the rules and asked the public to must follow the precautions advised by the government for their safe survival.
The district education officer VS Subbarao explained the merchants and shop owners about the precautions to be taken to contain the Coronavirus and the standard operational procedure, with the help of a PowerPoint presentation.
The joint collector TS Chetan, Markapuram OSD Chowdeswari, ZP CEO T Kailash Giriswar, and members and representatives from various shops and merchants associations also participated in the programme.