The entire award ceremony was conducted with strict adherence to all the government mandated COVID-19 safety guidelines, while maintaining the required social
A vendor waits for customers at his shop in Bhubaneswar on Monday
BHUBANESWAR: Returning to normal now seems like a distant dream to vendors, migrant workers, small-time businessmen and daily wage labourers, as Covid-19 continues its relentless onslaught. The restrictions, coupled with it, have instilled a fear of the rerun of the financial hardships they faced last year.
“Since the time Covid-19 reared its ugly head, life has not been the same. We are faced with fear and uncertainty at every step. We are also putting the life of our family members at risk. Towards the end of last year, when the cases had started dipping, there was some hope of returning to normal. But now that seems like a remote possibility,” Pravat Kumar Swain, a vegetable vendor at Unit-1 market, said. He is angry with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation asking vendors to move to an open place to prevent overcrowding. He had shifted to the Unit-1 market from a school playground only last year. And now he