3-week lockdown: Panic buying in Mumbai; enough stock, assures state

Food grain stock to last six months; govt benefits to be extended to white ration card holders too.

Within minutes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a countrywide lockdown for 21 days, people from across the city rushed out to stock up on essentials. The prime minister, in his address to the nation, said there was no need not panic about availability of essential commodities and medicines during the threeweek nationwide lockdown and urged people to refrain from panic buying. “My fellow citizens, there is absolutely no need to panic,” Modi tweeted soon after his address.

Earlier in the day, the state’s food and civil supplies minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, assured that Maharashtra has food grain stock to last six months. Despite restrictions on movement of vehicles, the supply of essential commodities will be unaffected. “We have enough stocks,” he said.

Shops and outlets selling food grains, vegetables, meat, fish, and medical shops have been excluded from the lockdown, Bhujbal said.

The state government is also planning to extend benefits of the government schemes to white ration card holders. Families having an annual income of Rs 1lakh and above, or any of its member possessing a four-wheeler, or the family aggregately holding more than four hectares of irrigated land are issued white ration cards. Already in Telangana, white ration card holders are allotted 12-kg rice and Rs 1,500 during the lockdown period.

A Maharashtra food and drug administration official said that medical stores across the state will remain open. “There is no shortage of medicines,” he said.

The APMC

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his deputy Ajit Pawar met with Sunil Pawar, director-commissioner of marketing and agriculture, to ensure the APMCs don’t shut down. The APMC at Vashi, which is the apex body of the state’s more than 300 APMCs, held a marathon meeting yesterday afternoon after which the office-bearers assured they will come up with a “concrete plan”. The Vashi APMC will remain shut today and tomorrow.

Ashok Waluj, president of Onion-Potato Traders’ Association, said there was no reason for anyone to panic. “We have enough stock in the APMC and in the retail markets as well,” he said.

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Group offers free home delivery service for elderly living alone

Round Table India has launched a free home delivery service for senior citizens living alone . “We understand it is not safe for elderly people to come out at this situation,” a statement from the organisation said. “Whatsapp your requirement for regular household materials with your name, address, contact number and requirement to the people listed below, depending on who is closest to you.”

The organisation will charge for the cost of the materials.

List of contact persons in Mumbai

Khar West
Vickaash Agarwal: 9980730991

Santa Cruz/Vile Parle
Kumar: 9820133503

Andheri East
Amith Dhanraj Bardia: 9320089690

Vashi
Vaibhav Sachdev: 9933676707 | Kamlesh jain: 9820101606

Sion/Wadala/Bhakti Park
Ajay Kinger: 8652710275

Worli
Piyush Khemka: 8454067700 | Sunit Aggarwal: 9322277552

Andheri West
Rajesh Jain: 9820236181

Bandra (West)
Vishal Mirpuri: 98213 21622

Dadar/Mahim
Ankit Parekh: 9820050288

Thane
Priyank Agarwal: 9321324242

Parel
Manan Soni: 9594088610