Vendors sell veggies, fruits sans protective gear

Sameer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 1

Showing disregard to the directions of the government, many vendors are selling vegetable and fruit to residents without protective gear such as masks and gloves, making them vulnerable to Covid.

Vegetable vendors can be seen selling items without gloves and masks (some dangling below the face). Exercising precautionary measures, a majority of the residents can be spotted wearing masks and gloves, but after coming in contact with vendors, who have not put on protective gear while collecting money or handing them veggies, they also become vulnerable to the Covid transmission.

Gurleen Kaur, a city resident, said, “Though the administration is taking all precautionary measures to ensure safety and convenience of residents, it must also ensure that things are actually being followed at the grassroots level. Vendors are simply selling vegetable without gloves and some of them do not even put on masks. I don’t feel safe or comfortable while exchanging money or veggies from them. My mother even rebuked one vegetable vendor citing government's directions and asked him to wear mask, following which he put it on.”

Another resident Bikkar Singh said, “This is a common sense and especially the pandemic have been in news for over two months. It is not difficult to understand and exercise some measures for their safety and others in general. Moreover, the district administration also needs to act tough to ensure that directions are followed in letter and spirit. Otherwise, the real purpose the curfew will be defeated.”

Meanwhile, confusion prevailed among city residents as two different rate lists of vegetables and fruits were circulating in the city on Wednesday. While the rates of veggies on the list issued by the administration were lower, residents were being charged up to 50 per cent more for a few vegetables and fruits.

The rate lists displayed on vehicles selling veggies in different parts of the city were different from the same issued by the district administration.

Later, the Public Relations Officer rectified the issue by issuing a new list of retail rates of vegetables and fruits to avoid the confusion.