Maharashtra: Allow us to open our shops, retailers’ body demands

Closed shops on Ranade Road in Dadar. Pic/Ashish Raje

A day before the cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday to decide on further extension of the restrictions due to Covid-19, worried retailers on Tuesday appealed to the Maharashtra government, to allow them to reopen shops within the limited, but extended timeframe post-May 15. They said they have been reeling under losses since the fresh set of restrictions began.

Shops closed at Borivli. All non-essential stores have been shut since April 4. Pic/Satej Shinde

The Federation of Retail Traders' Welfare Association has petitioned the Chief Minister about this, saying they have lost approximately Rs 50,000 crore in the 40-day curbs in Maharashtra which end on May 15.

"As you know, non-essential shopkeepers have kept the stores shut since April 4. For more than one month, a complete shutdown of shops has been enforced in Maharashtra. Mumbai cases have now come down to around 2,000. It is all due to tremendous effort by the health workers. The BMC should now allow us to open the shops in Mumbai city as a whole and in non-containment areas where cases are coming down," Viren Shah, president of FRTWA said.

"We would like to suggest that all non-essential shops be allowed to remain open between the limited, but extended timeframe of 10 am to 8 pm on all days, to revive the economy. We are sure the CM will take a prompt decision to ensure that shopkeepers can, with proper precaution, resume operations in a systematic manner. They can do a phase-wise unlock," he said.

"Traders have completely supported the lockdown to ensure that the Covid-19 infection is controlled successfully in Mumbai and other suburban areas," he added.

Rs 50k cr
Estimated loss for shops in the 40-day restriction