Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service
Mohali, March 26

Several shopkeepers claimed that they have run out of wheat flour and pulses in Mohali district on Thursday.

India on Tuesday announced a nation-wide curfew to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Other shopkeepers have turned off their mobile phones and are unreachable.

Shopkeepers, whose numbers have been uploaded on the website of the district administration, revealed that people were making calls for getting the wheat flour, pulses and other items.

Shopkeepers said that they were unable to supply the orders as a large number of people were making calls to them.

They said that the shortage of staff was another factor which was hampering the supply. They said that they have to supply items at a particular time and it was impossible for them to supply the items at once.

A shopkeeper, on the condition of anonymity, said that sometimes he has to turn off his mobile phone as he wanted to deliver the large number of orders he had already received and didn’t want his customers to wait. He said, people after making the order kept on calling every 15 minutes to know why there was a delay in the supply of the products.

Another shopkeeper said that only biscuits and cold drinks were left in the stock and there was no supply for the dealers. He said dealers at the grain market have also expressed their inability to supply a huge quantity of consumable items as the supply chain had been broken due to curfew restrictions.

District Magistrate Girish Dayalan said that he would check with the food and supply department and would ensure that shopkeepers get the supply of essential items so that the people do not face any problem.