Non-essential shops to open on alternate days

PATNA: Following the state government’s order, Patna DM Chandrashekhar Singh on Monday issued instruction that the shops selling non-essential items would open on alternate days while essential shops will remain open every day till 6pm.
The decision was taken following the instruction from Patna divisional commissioner Sanjay Kumar Agarwal to the DMs of Patna, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur to ensure that non-essential shops open on alternate days only.He asked the DMs to fix the days as per requirement.
As per the order issued by the Patna district administration, non-essential shops dealing in electrical (fan, cooler & AC) and electronic goods (mobile, laptop, computer, battery, UPS) and their repair shops, salons or parlours, furniture and ornament shops would open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Shops selling garments, utensils, homeware, sports equipment and farm products besides dry cleaners and others would open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The new restrictions will be followed till May 15.
“Violation of this restriction will invite action under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897. Teams have been formed to ensure the compliance of the order,” the DM said.
Agarwal also instructed the DMs to identify the hotspots in their respective districts, including rural areas and tolas, and create big containment zones by barricading the areas and restricting the movement of outsiders.
In a virtual meeting on Monday, Agarwal said strict measures will be taken in such containment zones to curb the Covid-19 spread, while health teams need to do contact tracing and collect samples of people living in such localities. “The area will be barricaded and containment zone banner will be placed. However, essential services would remain unaffected. SDOs, magistrates and other officers need to keep a strict vigil in containment zones,” he said.
The divisional commissioner asked the DMs to ensure strict implementation of Section 144 (gathering of more than five people at a time in public places) in their districts.
Agarwal said all magistrates and police officers should ensure that doctors, paramedical staff and medical shopkeepers coming to the hospitals and shops don’t face any obstruction under the new restrictions. “Public transport will remain unaffected and people going to railway station, airport and bus stand would not face any problem,” he said.
“The district officials need to make people aware in different areas through microphones about adopting Covid-appropriate behaviour and to adhere to the new restrictions,” Agarwal said.
Patna DM said the SDOs have been asked to identify the hotspots to club micro-containment areas into bigger containment zones. Presently, there are more than 380 micro-containment areas in Patna.