MARGAO
Panic-stricken citizens enforced a voluntary lockdown in the Commercial capital and Salcete’s countryside as Goa went into a Covid lockdown mode on Friday.
Many a market, shops and establishments were open in the commercial capital, but Madgavkars in particular and Saxttikars in general opted to stay indoors on Day one of the government announced partial lockdown.
Roads and markets wore a deserted look everywhere. There were hardly any police personnel around, but beleaguered citizens preferred to remain at home, indicating that citizens by and large have been waiting for the government to announce a lockdown to break the Covid chain.
While the hustle and bustle at the KTC bus stand and the Margao old bus stand went missing with public transport shut on account of the lockdown, owners of most of the shops and business establishments preferred to keep their shutters down throughout Friday.
Establishments which remained open went without the normal business for want of customers.
The Margao Municipal Council remained open as usual. While the officials and staff reported moderated attendance, only a few citizens turned up for their official work. The serpentine queue witnessed in the MMC building passage for the payment of house tax and to obtain birth and death certificates went missing on Friday.
A couple of wholesale liquor outlets were found open, but there was hardly any business, sources said.
The commercial capital’s mega, Margao Municipality-owned New Market and the adjoining Gandhi market, also wore a deserted look. Take note, the gates of the Municipal New market remained opened, but there were hardly any traders or customers inside the market. A couple of grocery shops were found open, but hardly any customers.
A similar situation was seen at the Gandhi market vegetable market throughout Friday. While the vegetable vendors were in their sheds, offering sale of fresh vegetables, hardly any customers visited the market on Friday, indicating that people have opted for a voluntary lockdown in view of the surge in Covid cases in the city.
The hustle and bustle near the Comunidade building and the State Bank of India went missing in the absence of public transport. Roads around the Margao Municipal building were free from congestion as there were hardly any vehicles on the roads.
