Vendors carry on business despite weekend curfew

Despite the weekend lockdown imposed by the state government towards the control of Covid-19, the vendors in Suntikoppa did not pay heed and conducted business as usual, making the district administration a laughing stock.

Last week, the owners of jewellery, fancy, mobile phone, cloth and footwear shops had vented their ire against the government for closing their shops and allowing vegetable, groceries, meat and liquor shops to operate.

The general public was not happy with the entry of people from Assam, Odisha and Bangladesh into Suntikoppa under the pretext of labour. As people from outside thronged the market for the purchase of essentials, there was unnecessary crowding.

Even though selling items in the shandy market was banned, some vegetable vendors sold vegetables. Other vegetable vendors sold items on roadsides.

Shopkeepers registered their protest against the merchants from Gujarat and Rajasthan who sold rugs and bedsheets on the roadside.

Manju, a local merchant, asked how the vendors from other states are allowed to carry out business.

Fancy shop owner Farooq urged the district administration to give permission to all merchants to carry out business.

Ganesh, who runs a mobile phone shop, said that he will suffer losses if he does not open his shop on weekends.

If the government does not want us to do business, it should compensate us, he added.

Merchants also said that the district administration which has failed to control the movement of tourists, should not impose lockdown on a certain section of vendors.

If a weekend curfew is imposed next week, we will not cooperate, they said.

Suntikoppa PSI Puneeth said that the police have to adhere to the government orders and closed the shops after 2 pm.