Pune: Limited hours may have a negative impact

PUNE: Consumer activists and citizens said restricting the hours of operation for grocery stores could have a negative repercussion on crowding but conceded that such a measure was needed to curb the rapid spread of Covid-19 with some workable alternatives.
Grahak Panchayat activist Vijay Sagar said, “The move cannot be seen as contradicting the state government’s announcement permitting round-the-clock operation of essential commodities’ stores.It was an announcement, not an order. Instead of a blanket time slot, the authorities can experiment with varied time slots for shops in different areas to operate with proper police deployment to ensure social distancing norms.
Yuvraj Chaudhary, a student, said, “Limited hours means more people will step out of their homes in a smaller time period. The authorities will have to remain present during the morning hours to prevent crowding and streamline buyers instead of shutting down shops.”
A working professional from Deccan said, “When we go to stores now, only a few people are present who await their turn to make purchases. With a limited time-frame, there will either be crowding or bulk buying.”