Team Herald
PANJIM: As the State entered the third day of the 21-day lockdown called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Goa opened groceries for the sale of essentials, which led to chaos at various places across the State in the absence of proper queue system.
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Right from 6am Friday morning there was a rush for milk and serpentine queues in various places, indicating that the social distancing call, given by the PM and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, was completely ignored.
While almost 50 per cent of the grocery shops opted not to open, fearing the rush, many in North and South Goa quickly saw their stock get over.
To curtail the rush, there was no mechanism in place and in various areas there were no policemen to bring in discipline.
Sawant said that he had allowed the shops to open due to pressure and also as someone had moved the High Court. Indirectly urging opponents not to politicise the issue, Sawant urged grocery shop operators to promote home delivery service to ensure that people don’t come out to make purchases.
Refusing to revert his decision of granting relaxation to the 100 percent lockdown, Sawant said any such move would force someone to go to Court pointing out to government failure to implement the Central government’s guidelines with regard to keeping shops of essential commodities, including ration shops, open during the lockdown period.
The Chief Minister on Friday met all 30 BJP and alliance MLAs, while talks were also undertaken with the opposition on steps to promote home delivery services.
Speaking to media persons, Sawant, with folded hands, appealed to the people not to move out of the houses as there is every possibility of community transmission. “The coming eight to ten days are very critical and the current prevailing situation, if you see, with people crowding the shops, the condition is very dangerous,” he said.
“I appeal to people not to move out. Human-to-human touch can lead to transmission of the virus as we have no idea who is a carrier amongst us,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that all facilities have been put in place to promote home delivery of essential commodities including grocery, vegetables, milk and bread. “I appeal to shopkeepers to promote home delivery through our registered volunteers from your locality. Stop people coming out,” he said.
Sawant said that at present all sarpanchas, panch members and councillors have been appointed as volunteers. “All 40 MLAs have been asked to appoint 20 volunteers each in their constituencies for home delivery service,” he said, adding that there are enough food grains available for the next two months.
Responding to a question over the growing demand from the people for 100 per cent lockdown, Sawant said, “People should start from themselves, stop going out.”
