Trader body holds protest in CP, wants gyms and hotels in capital reopened

Hotels, weekly markets and gymnasiums have been closed in Delhi since March 25 as part of the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain Covid-19.

Members of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) – a collective of trade and industrial bodies – on Tuesday staged a protest in Connaught Place and several other commercial areas, demanding that hotels, weekly markets and gymnasiums be allowed to open in the capital as part of the Centre’s unlock plan to remove lockdown restrictions in a gradual manner.

Delhi has around 2,500 hotels and lodges and weekly markets of different scales operate in around 2,700 locations across the city, said a statement issued by the CTI. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

Hotels, weekly markets and gymnasiums have been closed in Delhi since March 25 as part of the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain Covid-19. The AAP-led Delhi government is in favour of opening them while lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal is against them being opened saying the Covid situation in the capital is still fragile.

“Hotels, weekly markets and gyms collectively provide livelihood to around 2.5 million people. While several other states have allowed them to function under the guidelines issued by the central government, these remain shut in Delhi. It is difficult to understand why. We demand that the L-G reconsiders the decision to allow hotels, weekly markets and gyms to function,” said Brijesh Goyal, president of CTI.

Chirag Sethi, vice-president of Delhi gym association, said, “Delhi has around 5,500 registered gymnasiums and most of them will be forced to shut if restrictions are not lifted at the earliest. Closing down would mean more job losses.”

Delhi has around 2,500 hotels and lodges and weekly markets of different scales operate in around 2,700 locations across the city, said a statement issued by the CTI.

“Weekly markets in the city alone engage more than 400,000 people in different roles – from traders to small-time transporters and labourers. Most of them are poor and have faced really difficult times because of the lockdown. It is high time to revive economic activities that help them,” said Sanjay Sachdeva, a Delhi-based trader association leader and member of the CTI.

The L-G’s office did not comment on the matter.