Friday, 22 November 2024
Friday, 22 November 2024
Sharma Tea was closed down on Sunday on police orders. Manager Kamal Sharma claimed they had only been serving snacks after police had ordered them to stop sale of tea last week. “We removed chairs outside the eatery and asked bikers who frequent the place to take parcels and leave,” he says. But on July 14, The Telegraph Salt Lake had spotted them serving tea and snacks to customers in cars. When the waiters saw our photographer clicking, they claimed they did not serve tea. “We too had found them making tea,” said a police officer. “They claimed it was for online orders. We made them down shutters thereafter.”
Saradindu ChaudhuryThe police have taken measures to prevent crowds from gathering at tea shops in Sector 1.
Residents had pointed fingers at snack shops in the BF Block swimming pool area, in particular, after which police ordered the shops to stop selling tea and serving snacks on plates, even if the customers were seated in their respective cars. “They can only serve take-away orders now,” a police officer said.
However, Sharma Tea was found to be flouting the order and was told to shut down on Sunday (see caption for details). On Monday afternoon, The Telegraph Salt Lake saw a customer sipping tea sitting his in car outside Gupta Brothers. “I love the tea here,” said the customer, Raju Agarwal. “To be doubly safe I have brought my own glass from home and asked them to simply pour it in for me.”
Minutes ago, the men at the counter had claimed that they were only serving snacks in parcels and no tea.
On being informed about the flouting of rules at Gupta Brothers, a police officer said he would look into it. “We are not imposing hard and fast rules but playing by the ear wherever necessary. Our objective is to enforce social distancing.”
So since footpath tea stalls were not drawing huge crowds they have not been asked to shut down.
However despite announcements on loudhailers and stringent measures, he pointed out that no amount of effort by the police would be enough unless residents themselves acted responsibly.
“Time was when I’d eat out three to five time a week. Now I’m eating out twice a month, that too only at drive-ins,” said Priyank Agarwal who had come to DB Block’s Pappu Chaiwala from Lake Town for tea and omlette. Police are not too worried about this joint, “as the tea here is expensive and so crowd is low,” said the police officer. Santu Hajra, a staff member, said they were serving snacks in disposable plates and customers were binning them before driving off.
Mayukh Sengupta
All chairs have been removed from the fish pond area in front of BF Block swimming pool, that once swarmed with foodies. In fact, the only people The Telegraph Salt Lake found drinking tea on Monday afternoon were other food stall keepers. “Business is so low that we come here not to work but chat,” said R. Mondal, who sells momos. Tea seller Vijay Sahu is disappointed with sales too. “Even fewer people come if it rains,” he says.
Mayukh Sengupta
The tea seller in front of the CGO complex, Dibakar Naik, said awareness had dawned upon customers and that they were all coming in masks now. Police are also making frequent announcements to enforce social distancing. Customers have dwindled too. “We have switched to having self-made tea in our offices” said Raja Ghosh. “I’ve only come today as tea in office has got exhausted.” Pictures by Mayukh Sengupta
Mayukh Sengupta
