Atal Smriti Vendors’ Market, home to over 500 small traders selling everything from shoes to stationery items and cosmetics, will finally reopen from Wednesday after having stayed shut for five months ever since a lockdown was imposed in the state to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

While the state government allowed the gradual opening of almost all business establishments barring a few, the vendors’ market near Jaipal Singh Stadium continued to remain under lock and key adding to the woes of traders.

They have been holding protests ever since, the last time on Monday when some vendors staged a dharna near the market complex displaying empty plates to signal their family’s hunger at a time when earnings have dried up.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijayvargiya announced on Tuesday that they would open the market from Wednesday.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation workers sanitise the vendors’ market on Tuesday ahead of its reopening.

“We got a nod from the district administration on Tuesday, but a host of dos and don’ts will have to be followed as safety precautions. All vendors including visitors to the market will have to mandatorily comply with the prescribed norms such as maintaining proper physical distancing, use of masks and sanitisers at every shop, maintaining hygiene in and around the complex, among others,” he said.

Since morning, RMC deployed about half a dozen workers to sanitise the area while technicians were busy installing/repairing CCTV cameras at the market where more than 500 big and small vendors sell items ranging from footwear to stationary, home décor, blankets, cosmetics and clothes.

Md Kalimuddin, a vendor who sells footwear, said, “We are happy to resume business from Wednesday. In the last five months, we have suffered a lot. While roadside vendors in other parts of the city went about their business about a month back, we were forced to keep our businesses shut as this market was closed and all our stocks were inside.”

Raju Gope, a blanket seller, added that although he began selling his products on a road near Kutchery Chowk it didn’t yield much because of various issues. “One can’t directly set of up shop on the roadside anywhere as existing sellers in the area tend to create lots of problems. Moreover, during rains, doing business on the road isn’t easy. At the vendor market, I have a dedicated place to sit,” he said, hoping to witness business normalcy soon.