People in Chandigarh throng to grocery stores after curfew relaxation

A day after the Punjab government relaxed the curfew between 10 am and 6 pm, people queued up outside stores to purchase essential items here on Saturday.

People were asked to maintain a distance of at least one metre from each other. "I have been assigned here to ensure that the queue formed is maintained and a build-up of crowds in front of the store does not happen," Lakhwinder Singh, a government official told ANI.

"Essentials like bread and milk are fast-moving items which are required on a daily basis; what do we do," said a senior citizen, adding that so far no help has been provided to the old.

With regards to ensuring that every customer gets essential items, Shivam a shopkeeper said, "I have ordered enough stock so that no customer gets refused. I am selling stuff in a limit to every customer." On the issue of ordering more stock, he said that he does find it difficult to order stock but he is trying to manage by selling not more than 1-2 kg."

The Punjab government on Friday announced that to provide accessibility of essential commodities, all shops with essential commodities like food grain, groceries, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat and fish will remain open from 10 am to 6 pm daily till further orders.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 873 on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.