Shillong, July 10: The East Khasi Hills district administration has permitted 185 shops and stalls to open per day at the Iewduh (Bara Bazaar) market. 184 hawkers will also be allowed to operate daily.
This was informed by the East Khasi Hills District Magistrate via an order on Saturday, and the shops and hawkers will be identified by the Syiem of Hima Mylliem in consultation with the Incident Commander, Zone-IV, Shillong.
This constitutes roughly 15 percent of the total shops/stalls in fixed establishments inside the Iewduh market.
The order said the Syiem will make seating arrangements such that prescribed social distancing of 2 metres is maintained by the hawkers.
Essential/perishable items are permitted to open twice a week while non-essential and other semi-essential shops are permitted to open only once a week.
In addition, Basa doh (butcher stalls) and Basa Dohkha (fish market) are also permitted to re-open on rotation basis and should not exceed 15% in one day.
Basa Jhur (Vegetable market) shall remain closed.
The Market Committee under the Syiem of Hima Mylliem has been authorized to levy fines on shop owners and people who do not adhere to the Covid-19 protocols or spit in open/ public places.
The order said the market committees must ensure that customers bring their own bags and avoid the use of plastic bags as much as possible to minimise the chance of spreading the virus, as it lasts longer on smooth and non-porous surfaces in comparison to porous surfaces like cloth.
It has also prohibited symptomatic persons, persons from containment zones, senior citizens above the age of 60, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years from visiting the market.
The administration has urged that all shopkeepers and hawkers to get vaccinated before being permitted to sit inside the market. It also directed compliance to the High Court order by all shops by displaying the vaccination status of the shopkeepers and staff in the visible/distinct locations as “vaccinated or not vaccinated”.
Shopkeepers and staff not willing to get vaccinated will have to produce the RT-PRC Negative Report every 10 days.
