Nagpur: Traders here have expressed strong opposition to any further extension to weeklong lockdown in the city.
Nag Vidarbha Chambers of Commerce (NVCC) president Ashwin Mehadia on Saturday threatened that if lockdown is extended, traders from the city will take to street to oppose the decision and as a mark of protest will keep their shops open from Monday (March 22).
According to Mehadia, when the district guardian minister Nitin Raut had earlier decided on the restriction, traders were not taken into confidence. “Despite this, we extended cooperation and kept our shops closed,” he said.
Mehadia also pointed out that the 1 pm restrictions for all essential shops to remain open actually defeats the purpose of containing the Covid spike. “In many areas due to time restrictions, crowd was observed. So NVCC is against this rule,” he said.
On the lines of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s slogan ‘My Family, My Responsibility’, NVCC also said traders know their responsibility — ‘Majhi Dukan, Majhi Jawabdari (My Shop, My Responsibility)’.
“An online meeting of 150 affiliated members of NVCC was held on Saturday morning and all have expressed their willingness to oppose the lockdown extension,” said Mehadia.
Mehadiya said the NVCC has suggested to the guardian minister to increase the medical facilities for the Covid-19 patients but not target the traders’ community. “If markets are superspreaders, why is the NMC not sanitizing the commercial places in the city,” he asked.