Delhi traders' bodies favour unlock, urge CM Kejriwal for partial relief to certain markets

Trader in Delhi are divided over Delhi CM Kejriwal's decision of phased unlock. Traders claimed that if factories are allowed to operate after June 1, they will not be able to sell their produce since most markets in Delhi are shut.

As the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the process of unlock with allowing construction works and small and medium factories to run post June 1, the city traders are demanding relaxation in the lockdown. The trader unions claim that the factories, if allowed to operate after June 1, will not be able to sell their produce to the market as all the markets are shut. Praveen Khandelwal, the secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said though curbing the spread of Covid-19 infection is the priority of not only the government but also of the traders and the people of Delhi, yet when the case positivity rate is about 1.5 per cent, markets in Delhi should also have been allowed to open, maybe in a phased manner. “With over seven lakh shops are shut, who is going to buy the produce from the small and medium factories. The government didn't say anything about the traders of Delhi. They can provide partial relief from the lockdown in certain markets to start with so that the traders can also come out of the financial crisis as a result of lockdown,” said Arun Kumar Singhania, president, Delhi Hindustani Mercantile Association (DHMA).