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Lockdown ends today at midnight: Traders in Pune look to resume business without ‘harsh’ restrictions
The trader’s body has stressed that old even-odd formula be scrapped while deciding to reopen business while hinting that they will accept weekend closure, a condition administration is mulling
Lockdown in Pun city will end on Thursday midnight even as the district administration has made it clear that there will be some curbs across the city to prevent crowding of people to avoid the spread of Sars-Cov-2 virus that causes Covid infection.
Among the restrictions, the district and civic authorities are planning to impose are closure of non-essential shops on weekends and further restricting the number of people in offices and events like marriage among others.
With lockdown being lifted, Pune Vyapari Mahasangh, a traders body, has taken an aggressive stand demanding all the shops and business in the district to be allowed without restrictions. The trader’s body has stressed that old even-odd formula be scrapped while deciding to reopen business while hinting that they will accept weekend closure, a condition administration is mulling.
The detailed order pertaining to what will be open and what will be closed to be issued by PMC commissioner Vikram Kumar and Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram on Thursday.
“We are in the process of drafting a new order and considering some restrictions while lifting the lockdown from Friday onwards,” said Ram.
To press their demands, traders body submitted their letter to the district administration and both the civic bodies in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
“We have sent a letter regarding our demands right to the chief minister, Pune district collector and others. From last three to four months due to lockdown all the shop owners, businessmen and traders have suffered huge losses,” said Fatechand Ranka, president, Pune Vyapari Mahasangh.
“There are at least 30,000 businessmen in Pune district on which ten lakh workers are dependent and are going through a bad situation. And if this lockdown is extended after July 23 then, unfortunately, we fear that many people will lose their jobs,” he said.
“Our clear demand is that lockdown should not be extended and also odd-even formula needs to be cancelled,” he said.
Association in their demand has given a couple of options about opening their shops and its timings. According to it five days – Monday to Friday shops will be opened and on the weekend it will be closed. For this timings will be from 10 am to 8 pm. And the second option given is of seven days shops will remain open with 10 am to 7 pm.
According to Naval Kishore Ram, district collector, the administration is planning to allow non-essential shops with multiple options of days and timings.
“The odd-even formula for shops to be opened may get cancelled as the discussion is going on over it. Common public movement within the city will also be allowed. Event and ceremonies like weddings will have more restrictions on the number of attendees,” said Ram.
On the other hand, the residents are frustrated due to this lockdown as all the private offices, shops and business are closed down.
Kedar Mane, an engineer said, “Due to three to four months lockdown there was no work with our company so I was told to be at home till further instructions. So there was no financial income and I started taking personal orders at my workshop. But that is also closed now due to the lockdown, the common public has already suffered allot both financially and mentally. And now the government should not test our patience anymore and restart the city with all the safety measures.”
What Pune traders body want
-Odd-even formula to be scrapped
-Opening non-essential shops for five days is fine
-Shop opening hours to be extended from 10 am to 7 pm
-Action by the administration against customers not following guidelines
