NEW DELHI: Within 17 hours of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal inviting suggestions through calls, emails and WhatsApp for relaxations during lockdown 4.0 after May 17, nearly 5.5 lakh proposals have flooded the government’s inboxes.
While the government is yet to analyse the suggestions, sources said people have asked for lifting curbs with all precautions across the city, except the 81 containment zones. Many have also suggested resuming public transport, but with social distancing.
A total of 4.76 lakh WhatsApp messages, 10,700 emails and 39,000 calls were received by the government. Also, 22,700 responses were received on a Change.org petition. The responses were received under various categories, including industrial and MSME operations, transportation, education, and day-to-day commercial and non-commercial activities.
Delhi government will analyse the suggestions and pick up ideas, which will be discussed with doctors and experts to prepare a final proposal to be sent to the Centre on Thursday.
A majority of merchants, both retail and wholesale, have suggested that markets should be allowed to open because they won’t be able to bear the economic loss for long. They also stated that traders have been the worst sufferers of the extended lockdown.
Niranjan Poddar, president of Automotive and General Traders Welfare Association of Mori Gate, suggested that wholesale markets of agricultural implements be allowed to open as this would not only affect them, but also farmers as this is the harvesting time.
Associated Chamber of Trade and Industry suggested that markets should be opened on odd-even basis and the timings could also be varied. Some traders, however, said that the odd-even formula should be applied to wholesalers and not retailers. Some associations suggested opening of markets with guidelines for masks, sanitisers and social distancing.
“Many labourers have already left the city. If the markets are not allowed to open, the remaining workers will also leave,” said Brijesh Goyal, AAP trade wing convener. Traders Gurmeet Arora and Sandeep Bhardwaj said public transport and metro should be made operational, otherwise it will be extremely difficult for traders and labourers to reach shops.
Almost all economic activities in the city have been shut for over 50 days. Though some relaxations were allowed in the first week of May, not all shops selling non-essential goods were allowed to open. “We are staring at a deep crisis, which will only get aggravated if the curbs are not lifted,” said a trader.
The government fears that keeping economic activities frozen for a longer period will cause severe damage to businesses as well as livelihoods. Recently, Kejriwal had said that the novel coronavirus was here to stay and it was time that people learnt to live with it. He had added, “Delhi is ready for it.”
While the government is yet to analyse the suggestions, sources said people have asked for lifting curbs with all precautions across the city, except the 81 containment zones. Many have also suggested resuming public transport, but with social distancing.
A total of 4.76 lakh WhatsApp messages, 10,700 emails and 39,000 calls were received by the government. Also, 22,700 responses were received on a Change.org petition. The responses were received under various categories, including industrial and MSME operations, transportation, education, and day-to-day commercial and non-commercial activities.
Delhi government will analyse the suggestions and pick up ideas, which will be discussed with doctors and experts to prepare a final proposal to be sent to the Centre on Thursday.
A majority of merchants, both retail and wholesale, have suggested that markets should be allowed to open because they won’t be able to bear the economic loss for long. They also stated that traders have been the worst sufferers of the extended lockdown.
Niranjan Poddar, president of Automotive and General Traders Welfare Association of Mori Gate, suggested that wholesale markets of agricultural implements be allowed to open as this would not only affect them, but also farmers as this is the harvesting time.
Associated Chamber of Trade and Industry suggested that markets should be opened on odd-even basis and the timings could also be varied. Some traders, however, said that the odd-even formula should be applied to wholesalers and not retailers. Some associations suggested opening of markets with guidelines for masks, sanitisers and social distancing.
“Many labourers have already left the city. If the markets are not allowed to open, the remaining workers will also leave,” said Brijesh Goyal, AAP trade wing convener. Traders Gurmeet Arora and Sandeep Bhardwaj said public transport and metro should be made operational, otherwise it will be extremely difficult for traders and labourers to reach shops.
Almost all economic activities in the city have been shut for over 50 days. Though some relaxations were allowed in the first week of May, not all shops selling non-essential goods were allowed to open. “We are staring at a deep crisis, which will only get aggravated if the curbs are not lifted,” said a trader.
The government fears that keeping economic activities frozen for a longer period will cause severe damage to businesses as well as livelihoods. Recently, Kejriwal had said that the novel coronavirus was here to stay and it was time that people learnt to live with it. He had added, “Delhi is ready for it.”
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