Bhopal: Confusion over lockdown relaxations, people prefer to wait and watch

BHOPAL: District collector Tarun Pithode, late on Sunday night announced some major relaxations for residents in areas under six zones, which are relatively “free” from coronavirus infection. Opening of private offices, construction activities both by government agencies and private builders, home delivery facility from a variety of shops, not only grocery and milk shops, and “take-home” facility from hotels and restaurants were supposed to infuse some life in city markets and commercial areas.But on Monday, the first day of lockdown 4.0, it didn’t happen.
Ahead of the lockdown 3.0, too, Pithode had announced some relaxations like enlarging the scope of home delivery from grocery to vegetables, fruits, stationary, electronics and optical shops but even at that time, it didn’t have any palpable impact on the city markets.

“The manner in which relaxations are being announced will have no impact. You need not put so many ifs and buts while announcing what would open and what not and where. The same administration announces ‘petrol pumps will remain open’, you find them open the next day. The government announces ‘banks will remain open from tomorrow’, you fund them open the next day. But, if you put so many ifs and buts and expect a merchant or a professional to risk ‘abrasive’ police inquiry on the way as to where you are going and for what purpose, I don’t think you are being realistic”, said a chartered accountant in Kolar area, who did not open his office on Monday despite Kolar being in the zone, where private offices can open with 33 per cent presence.
A hotel in M P Nagar, which for the past few days, had been sending messages to its patrons announcing it was back to serve them in “take home” form, had orders from the customers, but not the order from the district administration to open the kitchen and deliver ‘take home’ orders.
Pithode, while talking to TOI, on Sunday, had said that M P Nagar would remain closed for now because of its proximity to coronavirus hotspot, Jehangirabad. But, some big names in the food industry at Bhopal including Manohar Dairy in M P Nagar, Coffee House at New Market and near the Board Office has started the "take-home” service. At Manohar Dairy, only packed sweets, bakery items, namkeens, and other edibles were being served on Monday while the Coffee House at the Board Office was serving south Indian dishes like dosa, idli besides chicken dishes.
Standalone shops or neighbourhood shops (shops in residential complexes), which were allowed to open shutters in the third lockdown itself and in 4.0 as per the district collector order on May 17, didn’t open their shutters then nor did they start operating on Monday.
“Standalone shop is a very confusing word at times. For example, Lotus showroom in Arera Colony is a perfect “standalone shop”, there are no shops around it. Would it be allowed to operate? I don’t think so. What they mean by standalone shops is a small grocery shop in your colony or just outside. Many of them are operating, but such shops are more among shanties than upmarket areas”, said the owner of an electronic showroom in Gulmohar market.
The condition that whosoever goes to work in any of the six zones of Bhopal for work should be from that zone itself has also added to the confusion. “How it is possible that everyone employed at a factory in Govindpura industrial area or Mandideep would be from that area itself?” asked an industrialist at Mandideep, on the condition of anonymity.
Spokesperson for the district administration, Arun Rathore, when asked about it, said “Anyone who has his own identity card and card from the factory where he works would be allowed to go, but ideally, factory owners should arrange for his stay in the proximity to the workplace, so that he doesn’t have to change zones or go from Bhopal to Raisen district every day. But, more important is the fact that worker should not be from any of the “containment area” of any of the cities.”