By Sharon Thambala

Bengaluru, Mar 25 (IANS): Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a 2-day lockdown across the country, India's tech hub witnessed cautious buying of essential goods by the denizens on Tuesday night.

Though Karnataka and Bengaluru have been under partial-to-complete shutdown since March 14 to contain the spread of coronavirus or COVID-19, people have not faced shortage of groceries, vegetables, fruits, milk and other goods for panic buying, a shopkeeper told IANS.

While business has been less than normal due to the shutdown, shops witnessed moderate to brisk buying in many provision and general stores across the city, including the IT corridor in the southern suburb.

"As am not sure if groceries will be available from tomorrow (Wednesday), am buying essential goods like rice, dal, wheat flour, vegetables and fruits," Uber staffer Zishan Ali told IANS at Kodathi on Sarjapur Road in the city's southeast suburb.

Admitting that he heard Modi's 3-week lockdown, the 28-year-old Ali said he came out to buy the daily needs for his family as he was skeptical about their availability in the short term as the people tend to buy more for longer days fearing shortage later.

"I am buying what we require in the days ahead than face scarcity and price rise," said Ali, who hails from Kolkata.

Sounding confident, Sasken Technologies geek Jignesh Raizada said there was no need for panic buying as essential goods, including groceries would be available despite the lockdown.

"I don't think there is need to panic. Things will be as usual though the people should not come out to avoid social contacting. All daily needs will be available as assured by Modi in his address. No need to panic," said the 40-year-old techie.

Echoing Raizada, telecom engineer Rexon Philip, said he was not on panic buying as he had planned for the days ahead because the city was already under locked down till March 31.

"My shopping in the local market coincided with Modi's address to the nation on the 21-day lockdown till April 14. I hope and pray the disease will not spread but subside soon," Philip told IANS as he was leaving for home with his wife holding a tray of eggs.

Vikram Konduri, a software engineer in IT major Wipro's new campus at Kodathi, said though the people were sure of groceries, vegetables and fruits being available on the morrow, some of them fear that the prolonged lockdown would lead to shortages and prices soaring.

A few citizens also came in cars and two-wheelers to the local market to buy their needs even around 10:00pm before the shopkeepers pulled the shutters down.

Bachelors were also seen purchasing provisions for stocking to sustain the lockdown.

There were customers in almost every store buying provisions.