The Thane police on Wednesday, April 21, forcefully closed shops in Thane markets by 11 am with the state government and municipal corporation issueing curbs on timings for shops selling essential goods.
The markets across the city wore a deserted look since afternoon as all shops remained closed.
However, this has led to overcrowding in the morning and also have disrupted the lives of shopkeepers. A grocery shop owner said that the shops usually open around 9 am. But as per new rules, they have to start it at 7 am and close at 11 am. During this time, usually very few people shop for groceries. Most of them come to shop around 10 am. The situation was the same today, but we asked them to form a line. The timing is too short and not suitable for business.
Police officers from each police station closed the shops in their jurisdiction after 11 am. The officials said that action was taken in popular markets of Jambli Naka, Naupada and Ghodbunder along with those in Kalyan and Dombivli.
A senior police officer from Thane said they will ensure that these curbs are strictly followed. Police personnel will be patrolling through the day to take action against shops found flouting these directives.
Meanwhile, on a contradictory note, a dairy shop owner said that the milk business is not affected, but the business of milk products such as cheese and paneer is hit as they cannot produce it in large quantities like earlier. It will not be sold in the four hours.
As per state guidelines, grocery shops, dairy shops, fruits and vegetable shops and vendors, meat shops, bakery shops and all other essential shops can function only between 7 am and 11 am every day. This comes as the city and state have been witnessing a rapid rise in coronavirus cases.
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