Under stress, traders seek normal operation of shops

Traders from Maharashtra and Delhi have demanded the opening up of shops without any restrictions as small traders are no longer able to bear the financial losses incurred by keeping shops closed for two months. While the Maharashtra government has asked the local authorities to take the call, Delhi has allowed the opening up of only the construction activity and factories.

Mumbai-headquartered Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MCCIA) has demanded that all types of shops across the state be allowed to open during normal working hours. “According to the rough estimate of the chamber, the traders from Maharashtra have incurred losses of close to Rs 75,000 crore since the lockdown was imposed in April,” said Lalit Gandhi, vice president, MCCIA.

In Delhi, the Confederation of All India Traders too has made the same demand as the NCR government has opted for selective opening of construction activities.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has sent a letter to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asking to review the process of unlocking in Delhi.

“Traders across Delhi are highly disappointed because they were expecting that shops will open from today in a phased manner to revive the business activities. Opening of construction activities and factories certainly require various raw materials. The business of Delhi has been completely derailed, how will that business be restored when there is an acute financial crunch,” said CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal.