Traders’ body CAIT calls for 10-day lockdown in national capital to curb COVID cases

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New Delhi: Domestic traders’ body CAIT on Thursday asked the Delhi government to impose a complete lockdown for at least 10 days to control coronavirus infections but at the same time ensure movement of vehicles carrying essential goods for the people.

Amid surging COVID cases, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced weekend curfew in Delhi apart from various other curbs. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said that people engaged in essential services should get e-passes on time and that the government should ensure smooth movement of vehicles at borders.

“The time has come to take a strong step in order to curb the rapid outbreak and a complete lockdown for at least 10 days in order to break the chain seems the right thing to do,”  CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

He said the Delhi government’s decision on restrictions is the right step but inadequate as the number of cases are increasing at a very fast pace.

“It is very important to break the chain and for that, it is very important to put a complete lockdown for at least 10 days in Delhi. Traders of Delhi stand with the government and will continue supplies of essential commodities uninterruptedly,” he added.

CAIT will soon convene a meeting of various trade organisations of Delhi and take a detailed view on all the issues related to possible lockdown, he said. “If necessary, the traders can also call for closing their shops,” he noted.

According to him, e-commerce companies should not be allowed to sell non-essential goods under the present conditions of curfew and lockdown.

If e-commerce companies are allowed to sell non-essential commodities, then it will create an uneven playing field for the traders whose shops will remain shut for compliance of the curfew orders in different parts of the country, he said.

“It will be highly unfair if the e-commerce players are allowed to deliver all kinds of goods whereas brick and mortar retailers are allowed to deal only in essential commodities,” he noted.