Tirupati: Traders prefer total lockdown to get rid of confusion on timings

Tirupati: In the pilgrim city which has reported more than 1,000 Covid cases, the decision of the traders to self-impose time restrictions has created ripples among local traders and corporate chain shops. While the local businessmen have strictly adhered to their decision and closed down the shutters by 2 pm, the attitude of mobile chain shops and one or two malls who refused to do so has irked them.

On Monday, there was a big conflict between Tirupati Chamber of Commerce representatives and these mobile chain shops. According to the Chamber's president A Manjunath, a few mobile shops who are having multiple branches have refused to close the shops by 2 pm as they were already in losses while other small mobile merchants have closed down.

He told The Hans India that D-Mart organisers also refused to down their shutters. Such things will force others to follow and the purpose of time restrictions will not be served. However, Municipal Commissioner PS Girisha spoke to the traders to pacify the situation.

Further, following the Collectors decision to implement lockdown in wards, the grocery shops are allowed till 11.00 am only. There are 20 such containment wards in the city out of 50.

In areas having more than 10 cases, shops will be allowed to open till 1 pm only while traders have decided to close by 2 pm in all areas irrespective of cases. All this will create a confusion and the best way is to impose total lockdown in the city, he opined.