Darjeeling shops to open from today: Traders' umbrella

Darjeeling: On the 101st day of the strike, a meeting of traders associations decided to open up shops and business establishments in Darjeeling from Sunday onwards.

The Path Pasaley Sangh (Shopkeepers and Hawkers Association) of Darjeeling convened a meeting with other trade associations in Darjeeling on Saturday. It was unanimously decided that shops and business associations would open up from Sunday.

"We have all decided to keep our shops open from 9 am to 5 pm from Sunday onwards," stated a shop keeper. Around 19 associations including Pan sellers Association, Hardware Association, Cloth dealers Association were present in the meeting.

"We have all been supporting the bandh. However, recently people have started selling their goods on roadsides and footpaths," Path Pasaley Sangh President Khudu Tamang pointed out.

"We feel that either there should be a total bandh or shops should open up. Finally it was unanimously decided that we will open up all shops from Sunday," added Tamang.

The opening up of shops is being seen as a necessity, with the festive season just round the corner. With bonus to be distributed in the tea gardens before Dusserah, it will be prime business time in the Hills.

Already, normality is slowly creeping back to the Hills with taxis between plying Darjeeling and Siliguri. The GTA is running two special buses — one between Bazar and Lebong and the other from Darjeeling to Ghoom.

Banks have opened up along with Government schools and offices. Some tea gardens have already become functional in the Hills.