Srinagar, Aug 27: Valley markets remained abuzz with business activity on Friday when bazaars opened for a day as per the ‘strike calendar’ issued by the Hurriyat. The curfew was also lifted by the government on Friday.
 People since early morning crowded shops and roadside stalls to procure and stock up essentials to brace up for another spell of shutdowns as per the calendar.
 A hectic activity was again witnessed in business establishments, schools, colleges and government as well as private offices, which remained open for the day.
 Large number of people queued up at banks and ATMs for transactions that ran into crores of rupees.
 Grocery stores, fuel stations, medical stores and vegetable and fruit vendors did a roaring business throughout the day. “This has now become a routine for us to do business on one day and sit for next several days,” exclaimed Tariq Ahmad at a grocery store at Maharaja Bazaar, here.
 Huge crowds, which included a large number of women as well, flocked to government-run ration depots for procuring rice, flour and sugar, while people continued to complain of foodgrain shortage at many places.
 Roadside vendors selling dates, pickles, sweets and Kashmiri traditional snacks were thronged by shoppers at various places. “We usually make good sales every year during Ramadan. Although this year there is more demand for essential commodities, people still purchase Ramadan accoutrements,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a vendor.
 As per traders, there was a huge demand for Pakistani sewaiyan (vermicelli) in Kashmir. “Pakistani sewaiyan are tastier than that of India, hence many consumers prefer that,” said a retailer.
 Interestingly, many people were seen purchasing apparels for the forthcoming wedding season. “Since many weddings are to be solemnized after Eid-ul-Fitr, we are looking for some good wedding apparels, for it takes at least a couple of weeks to get them stitched,” said Nasreen, a shopper at a garments shops.
 Several places across the city witnessed massive traffic snarls, especially at the time of Iftar (breaking fast), while traffic police had a tough time manning the traffic.
 Many consumers, meanwhile, continued to complain of shortage of various items, especially baby food power in the market, while traders maintained that only a limited supply of goods was currently reaching the Valley from outside due to the prevailing unrest. “In fact we receive only 20 per cent of the stocks at present than what we receive usually,” they said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST