Allow us to open shops daily: NVCC urges NMC

Nagpur: With the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) allowing shops to open daily by scrapping the odd-even formula, a traders’ body on Tuesday met municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe and demanded implementation of a similar pattern for shops within the city limits.
President of Nag Vidarbha Chambers of Commerce Ashwin Mehadia, secretary Ramawatar Totla and others submitted a memorandum to Mundhe and pointed out that businessmen across the city faced severe financial loss due to the lockdown amid the coronavirus scare.
The traders, however, extended full support to the administration during the complete lockdown but now they are facing acute financial crisis to meet their mandatory expenditures like shop rent, salary to their staff, bank EMIs etc
Mehadia claimed that traders are facing severe hardships as they could do business only 15 days a month. According to Mehadia, small traders and citizens have to visit a market twice for their work and so, there is always a huge rush, violating Covid-19 guidelines, including physical distancing. Thus defeating the odd-even formula which is a complete failure, he pointed out.
Already traders had faced a crisis due to demonetization and implementation of goods and service tax and before they could recover, the global pandemic hit them hard, said Mehadia.
“The NMC should also scrap the odd-even day rule like the BMC which is going to implement it from August 5. We are ready to do business from 9am to 7pm,” the NVCC memorandum stated.
A senior official from NMC ruled out any such decision to be implemented in the city and said that it was not the government’s decision but of the civic body.