After a brief confusion over supermarkets across the city closing early, people who went to buy groceries on Wednesday heaved a sigh of relief as they found them open post-afternoon.
On Tuesday, several consumers were flummoxed when they found supermarkets had downed shutters around 11.30 a.m. Some, like Syed Ali Javeed, a lawyer and resident of Jubilee Hills, was stopped twice at checkposts by police who informed him that grocery shop timings have been changed from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
“I saw the supermarket near my house closed. So, I took a different road to go to another. I was stopped at a checkpost where the policeman said that grocery shopping timings are between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. On my way back, I was stopped again at the Jubilee Hills checkpost, where the cop told me the same thing,” he said.
Twitteratti reacted to this. “Went to ratnadeep today and all of a sudden at 2pm they come and close the store and say it's a new order like where was the order? What's the curfew time still want a clarification from the govt (sic),” Rahul Reshaph.
Journalists too said that they faced similar problems when they went to buy essential supplies.
Reacting to the issue, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar on Tuesday issued a statement: “There is some fake news/rumour that shops were closed. There is no notification for such a closure of essential items’ shops. Hyderabad City Police is committed to ensure that all essential items are made available to all.”
On Wednesday, however, supermarkets operated well post-noon. The move came as a breather for all those who thought that stores selling essential supplies would be shut at 11 a.m.
“I went to a supermarket on Road Number 7 in Banjara Hills around 9 a.m. after what had happened yesterday. There, I was told that they would remain open even after 11 a.m.,” said Roshan Mirza, a businessman.
However, residents of the Old City said that several shops were closed around 12 noon. “Several shops in my locality were closed. I don’t why there is so much confusion,” S.Q. Masood, a resident of Kalapather, said.
