Express News Service BENGALURU: You may have noticed several grocery stores in the city shut down, though they come under essential services, forcing citizens to throng a few shops that have been kept open.The owner of Sri Vinayaka Rice Traders, Prabhakar Reddy in Kaval Bairasandra, said, “When the lockdown was announced, many people came to the store and bought items like rice, moong dal, toor dal and oil, in large quantities. We had stocks till Monday, but it is all over now. We normally stock 500-1,000 kg of rice. To get the stock, I have to go to the APMC yard. I have applied for a curfew pass and once I get it, I will get the stock and open the store.” The owner of Karnataka Rice Traders on BEL Road said, “Our stock got over four days ago as there was a big demand. We have ordered the stock, but there is a transportation and labour problem, so I don’t think we’ll get it anytime soon.” Yeshwanthpur APMC Yard Okkoota president Ramesh Chandra Lahoti said that the yard will be open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. The maximum demand is for rice, pulses, sugar and wheat, he said. “There is already one week’s stock at the Yeshwanthpur yard. Fresh stocks coming from Raichur, Kalaburagi and other parts of Karnataka will last till April 15,” Lahoti said. APMC Director Karee Gowda said, “There is no shortage. On Monday alone, 2,000 metric tonnes of onions and 106 metric tonnes of potatoes entered Bengaluru. Traders from Mysuru, Bidadi, and Hoskote are coming to the city to get their stock.”

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