The Calicut Chamber of Commerce has requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take immediate steps to help the merchants in Kozhikode who have lost a major chunk of their business during the Nipah outbreak in the district.
In a letter addressed to Mr. Vijayan, the honorary secretary of the chamber, A.M. Shareef, said that the merchants had brought new stocks anticipating Ramzan sales and the reopening of schools. But with the Nipah outbreak, the people largely stayed away from public places in fear, as well as due to the prohibitory orders issued by the district administration to prevent further spread of the disease. As a result, the sales in most shops came down to 25% of what was expected during the season, pushing the merchants into huge losses and debt.
Many merchants were struggling to pay the rents for their shops and the salary of the employees. Mr. Shareef requested the government to take steps to help these merchants, or at least ensure that they got low interest loans from banks.