Himanta Biswa Sarma tells DGP to make people buy commodities without making crowd

Blatant violation of social distancing

Grocers stick to onion and potato prices fixed by administration

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Yet again, social distancing has come for a toss in Guwahati!

With the relaxation of the lockdown coming into effect in the metropolitan city on Monday, the grocery shops witnessed heavy rush of customers. At many shops in the city, buyers were seen to stand in long and serpentine queues. However, most of the people were seemed to bother the least for the social distancing norms. As if the cap it all, there were also many people standing in such queues without wearing face masks.

Even as shops have been allowed to remain open from Monday to Friday from 11 am to 4 pm, people were seemed to be gripped by panic buying.

The State administration did make an appeal to the public not to go to the market or anywhere with any kind of vehicles. However, that plea was also blatantly violated by the public on Monday. A section of people went to procure essential commodities with their own cars and two-wheelers. Some of them were, however, sent back by the police. The police had to rerun the appeal to the public so that they don't go out with vehicles of any kind.

Unlike the vegetable vendors, the grocers were stick to the prices of onion and potato at Rs 30 per kg as fixed by the State administration.

"All these were not of earlier stocks. These were supplied to us by the administration on Sunday," one of the retailers of Ganeshguri market said, and added, "We're selling onion and potato at the prices fixed by the Administration."

Meanwhile, talking to media, State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "I told the AGP and the ADGP to make people aware of the fact that since grocery shops will remain open for the next five days, they can shop slowly by adhering to social distancing strictly."

Also Watch: #NewsMakers: Discourse on Saving Dehing-Patkai