Mysore/Mysuru: Though the Government announced lifting of weekend curfew following a demand from various quarters, city traders are yet to see their normal week-end business, as customers are still not coming to markets for making purchases.

Though many shops in the Central Business District opened yesterday and today following the lifting of weekend curfew, the owners of most of the shops are a disappointed lot as there is no marked improvement in their business, despite weekend holidays. They maintain that they are yet to see normal volume of business, as customers are hardly coming to markets.

Mahmood Khan, owner of a puja articles shop in Devaraja Market told Star of Mysore that though there is no weekend curfew, he is yet to see good business as customers are not coming to the markets as expected. Maintaining that people are yet to come out of COVID scare, he said that during pre-COVID times, he used to do business of up to Rs.5,000 on Saturdays and Sundays. But now, on Saturday, he did business of hardly a few hundred rupees and today, only a handful of customers have visited his shop so far. Pointing out that this trend can be seen in other shops of the market too, he noted that many fruit and vegetable traders have shut shops after suffering losses due to poor business following the outbreak of the pandemic.

Ashok, a wholesale onion trader said he did poor business on the first day of the lifting of weekend curfew yesterday and today also, there is not much business for him. With COVID cases rising in the district, people are scared to come out of their homes and this has severely hurt almost all businesses in the Central Business District, he added.

Devaraja Market vegetable vendor Satish Kumar said that there is dull business since yesterday, though the prices of vegetables and fruits are low. He pointed out that the vendors are worried about poor business at a time when the market is receiving fresh arrivals of vegetable and fruit stocks in large quantities and even the prices are not higher.

Mandi Market tenants Association President Prem Kumar told  Star of Mysore that the market is witnessing better business today as compared to Saturday. Pointing out that the residents of surrounding localities are coming to the market in large numbers, he said that overall, it can be said that the traders in the market are doing better business on Sunday, though the volume of business has not returned to pre-covid levels.

Vani Vilas Market is also not witnessing any Sunday rush as was the scene in the past.

However, the Mutton Market in the heart of the city and other meat shops in localities, saw near normal business as people were seen venturing out of their homes for buying their Sunday quota of mutton, chicken or fish.

A chicken vendor at Devaraja mutton market said that Sunday sales has returned to near normal following the lifting of week-end curfew. Pointing out that people from nearby areas are coming to the market in good numbers as barricades have been removed and there are no travel restrictions, they said that they are somewhat satisfied with the weekend business.