Traders, retailers push back harder against new curbs

New Delhi: Even as the Delhi Disaster Management Authority has said that it will not impose further COVID-19 restrictions unless hospitalisation rates increase significantly, trade unions, shopkeepers and retailers on Wednesday pushed back harder against the already imposed Yellow alert curbs — arguing that they will not serve the purpose they are meant to.

The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), an umbrella body of different trade unions in Delhi, urged the DDMA on Wednesday to amend the restrictions under the

GRAP for COVID-19 and consider two other indicators as well — the number of fresh cases of the infection and that of the oxygen beds occupied — before announcing any colour-coded alert.

And traders' body CAIT on Wednesday wrote to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, terming the 'odd-even' scheme for shops impractical and called for markets in the national capital be divided into various zones to open at different timings for smooth conduct of trade.

CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said he has written to the DDMA, urging it to amend the GRAP conditions as traders are facing huge losses because of the restrictions.

"At present, Delhi is neither reporting 1,500 coronavirus cases per day nor 500 oxygen beds are occupied. According to the CTI, there is a need

to make changes in the colour-code provisions.

"If all three conditions — the infection rate, the number of fresh cases and the oxygen bed occupancy — are being met simultaneously, then the restrictions under a GRAP colour code should be imposed," Goyal said.

Goyal argued that if restrictions are imposed only on the basis of the case positivity rate, then as soon as it reaches two per cent, the "orange" colour code will come into play and 90 per cent of Delhi will be shut. In that case, industrial, production and manufacturing units, along with shops, will be

shut. Shopping malls, weekly markets and the Delhi Metro will also be closed and only essential goods can be delivered, he said.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) argued, ""In particular we would like to mention that the 'Odd-Even' scheme is not practical and extremely irrelevant. In fact, it only causes extreme inconvenience to the public at large... Instead of curbing the movement of the people, it only causes people to move out more frequently."

Moreover, the Retailers Association of India went on to call the restrictions on malls, shops and restaurants a "partial lockdown" and lamented the sudden overnight crubs. They argued that it will create uncertainty for businesses and confusion in the minds of consumers with regards to odd and even and will lead to crowding, defeating the purpose of the curbs in the first place.