CHENNAI: Families with weddings scheduled in the ongoing Tamil month of Aani are concerned as the state government has not allowed retail textile showrooms to reopen for business.
With Covid-19 cases continuing to decrease in Tamil Nadu, more weddings are being planned in Aani as it is considered auspicious for marriages.
Some retailers, not wanting to miss the wedding rush, let in customers illegally and were penalised.
In silk hub Kancheepuram, some retail textile outlets kept the main shutters closed to fool authorities but allowed customers to enter and shop through backdoors of the premises.
Based on specific tip-offs, Kancheepuram municipality officials conducted a surprise inspections at silk sari shops on Wednesday.
“We have been receiving complaints that many shops were operating behind closed doors ahead of the wedding season.
People from other districts arrive at Kancheepuram shops to purchase wedding saris despite restrictions.
We found many of the shops crowded during the inspection,” said R Maheswari, Kancheepuram municipal commissioner.
Sixteen clothing stores have been penalised a total Rs 55,000 in the past three days under the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939.
Among them, six were repeat offenders and their shops have been locked and sealed.
A fine of Rs 5,000 each had been levied on the shops thrice in the past, according to official data.
A textile shop owner from Thiruvalluvar Street in Kancheepuram, requesting anonymity, said, “We all have incurred huge losses because of the lockdown.
We expected the government to allow shops in Kancheepuram and Chennai, where cases have dropped significantly, to reopen this week.
But our wait was getting longer”.
Regular customers contacted some of the shops to let them know when they’ll reach the shop.
With this, shop owners tried to ensure there was not much crowding.
“But, since the raids, all operations have come to a standstill again,” he said, expecting some relaxations in the coming week.
Poornima, one of his customers, remarked that while the government has permitted weddings to take place, it has kept textile and jewellery outlets closed.
“We should be allowed to visit the shops at least in batches,” she said.
Besides silk sari shops, a marriage hall in Kancheepuram was also fined on Wednesday for violating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the state government.