A large number of shopkeepers took to the streets in Lakhisarai in Bihar on Tuesday to protest against not being able to conduct business and being on the verge of penury because of the lockdown.

The shopkeepers complained that the alleged faulty administrative policy has forced them to sit idle since March when the lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus started. They chanted slogans demanding permission to open their stores and put up bamboo barricades at several places to halt traffic movement in the town, located around 155km southeast of the state capital.

“Owners of shops of clothes, bangles, toys, stationery, sweets, books, jewellery, furniture and many other items are human beings. They also have mouths to feed. Many employees also work at these shops. However, they are unable to conduct business due to the lockdown since March and have reached the verge of starvation,” said Munna Goswami, a shopkeeper in Lakhisarai.

As time passed by, the protesters squatted on the roads to demand relief. The Lakhisarai district administration finally intervened and assured them of looking into their grievances.

Several shopkeepers pointed out that the problem has been caused by the timings for stores to open. Unlike several other districts, the Lakhisarai administration has ordered that all shops should open between 6am and 2pm.

“Such timings are fine for milk, vegetable, grocery shops and fish market. But other stores open only around 11am. Customers won’t be there even if they open early. By the time the shopkeepers settle for the day’s business, it’s time to close. By 1.30am, the police start asking the shops to close,” said Sandeep Sah, another shopkeeper.

Lakhisarai district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh, who was transferred there a month ago, told The Telegraph that the timings had been prevalent since the lockdown started in March and have continued since then.

“There is no restriction on shops, except malls, from doing business. However, the timings could be a problem for those who open their shops late. Some people came to meet me today and said that they were owners of big stores, but were unable to function. We are enquiring into prevalent timings in the neighbouring districts. We will look into their grievances and redress them,” Singh said.

The district magistrate also asserted that lockdown was being enforced to protect people from contracting coronavirus and action will be taken if people violate norms.