JORHAT, March 30 - Sale of vegetables on vans along with home delivery of essential commodities was launched in Jorhat district on Sunday
Additional Deputy Commissioner Bipul Das, who looks after the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department, told The Assam Tribune that as part of efforts by the government to ease difficulties of the people due to the lockdown, the administration started sale of vegetables through vans locality-wise.
Das said vendors authorised by the district administration went to different localities on Sunday morning and sold vegetables.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner said that the response of people has been by and large satisfactory as they maintained gaps unlike the heavy rush and overcrowding witnessed in markets on earlier days.
He, however, said that in some areas, there were long queues and civil defence volunteers were deployed to enforce social distancing. Das said the arrangement will continue on a daily basis during the lockdown and urged people not to go for panic-buying.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner said a process was on to make the same arrangements in villages and all Revenue Circle officers were working in this regard.
He said the administration was also taking steps to make vegetables available in Amar Dukans (government-notified shops that sell essential commodities at reasonable prices) in rural areas.
Das said home delivery of grocery items too started in Jorhat town on Sunday. Authorised grocery shops and shopping malls made delivery at doorsteps on orders received over phone by engaging delivery persons who were granted passes after undergoing screening tests for novel coronavirus. The authorised shops were granted permission to run the service within a 4-km radius from the location of the establishment.
Das said that to prevent rush of retailers at the wholesale grocery market, the administration has directed the retailers to place orders over phone. Delivery of grocery items to retailers will be done through vehicles granted passes by the administration, he stated.
Plea to people: Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner Damodar Barman, who looks after the District Disaster Management Authority, has urged people to cooperate in enforcing the lockdown. Barman said the administration was making all efforts to provide essentials and vegetables at doorsteps locality-wise on vans and there was no reason to worry as the arrangement will continue during the lockdown.
