Shopkeepers’ association writes to CM Uddhav Thackeray, criticises vaccine mandate

From August 15, non-essential shops will be allowed to remain open till 10 pm. File pics

Just a day after the hoteliers and restaurateurs pointed out that the government should make vaccines available first and then implement rules like requiring the staff to be fully vaccinated, the shopkeepers' association wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray critisising the vaccination mandate in the state government's latest circular. The association has claimed that this will bring in ‘Inspector Raj' and also could lead to corruption as not many of the employees were fully vaccinated.

mid-day had reported on Thursday about how the hoteliers raised their objection to the mandate saying that majority of their staff was in the 18-44 years age group and they were yet to be fully vaccinated.

Viren Shah, president of Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), said, "The vaccine shortage and the criterion of having an 84-days gap between the two doses have not led to the desired results, and such kind of restrictions will further lead to corruption and ‘Inspector Raj'. Such compulsion without proper availability of vaccines will lead to chaos amongst lakhs of shops and restaurants in Maharashtra. We can assure that the staff will be fully vaccinated but then availability has to be ensured by the government. We are sure the state government will bring in changes to such restrictions in the guidelines to avoid problems for the business community, which is eager to extend operations from August 15."

Meanwhile, on Friday there were reports of the municipal commissioner stating that employees should at least take the first jab before reporting to work.

"The announcement by the BMC commissioner today that restaurant staff should take at least the first dose before reporting to work, brings much relief to the industry, as those in the hospitality industry are mainly in the 18-44 years group, with many not eligible to take the second jab yet. While we are actively pursuing setting up vaccine camps at different locations, we will ensure that our staff takes their second dose as soon as they are eligible. We want to follow all SOPs and would love to welcome our patrons in a fully safe and secured environment," said Shivanand Shetty, president of AHAR.