Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 29

The Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM) has welcomed the decision of UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore to allow all shops in the city to remain open till 9 pm daily.

Charanjiv Singh, president of the CBM, said allowing an extra hour for shopping in the city was a step in the right direction.

He repeated the demand for more financial relief and supporting measures by the government for the traders. “Now, we are hopeful of getting economical relief packages also at the earliest,” he said.

Diwakar Sahoonja, spokesperson for the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said the CBM was hopeful of early steps by the government towards pending demands such as compensation for huge losses incurred by traders due to the lockdown, waiving electricity and other charges for lockdown period, allowing self-assessments of pending taxation cases without C forms on the Punjab Government pattern and bringing need-based changes in building bylaws of commercial properties to give further boost to the commercial activities in the state.

Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, president, Chandigarh Traders Association, Sector 17, appreciated the decision of the Administration for allowing the shops to open from 10 am to 9 pm. He urged the Administrator that the traders were still waiting for the relief package in view of the prevailing situation.