Traders seek Sharad Pawar’s intervention to resolve their woes arising out of Covid-19 lockdown

@vipulbv

Mumbai: After declaring indefinite non-co-operation agitation against the Maharashtra government the Federation of Association of Maharashtra (FAM) approached mentor of the state government Sharad Pawar on Thursday and sought his intervention in resolving issues of traders in the state. The trading community is facing a harrowing time in the rather too long lockdown period. The package given by the central government also does not have anything for traders, states a statement issued by FAM. 

A meeting was held at Garware Club under the leadership of FAM Chairman Vinesh Mehta along with former minister Raj Purohit, and there was a detailed discussion of the various issues facing the trading community.

Senior vice president Jitendra Shah stated that the challenges faced by a businessman are huge and many. The cost of living cost in Mumbai is so high that even if shops are open for only three days a week that means 12 days a month, it is not at all viable for traders to survive we can’t pay our office, shops  rents, bank interest, staff salaries, fixed expenses like electricity, telephone and other statutory expenses. The association demanded to allow shops to remain open on all six days of weeks from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and demanded for a special package like direct benefit of  interest relief of 3 % interest from bank to trading community.

Jitendra shah told “thenews21india” that after hearing the traders, Sharad Pawar agreed that the business community especially traders are the backbone of the economy and that the traders should be supported in a big way. He also said that he will ask PM Narendra Modi‘s to do whatever he can to revive the economy and specially for the trading community. Pawar agreed to hold meeting of traders with CM Uddhav Thackeray soon.

Shah stated that on July 29 the FAM and traders were very aggressive and decided to start a non-co-operation movement by shutting down all shops in the state indefinitely from August 5. Pawar said that he will try to resolve the issues of the traders’ and talk to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal.

The main demands of the trading community include –  all shops should be allowed to be open 7 days a week from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, special packages for traders (retail, semi wholesale and wholesale) should be announced soon, electric bills of lockdown period should be waived, bank interest rates should be reduced by 3%, license fee which was imposed during lockdown for hotel merchants should be waived, local transport should be started soon, APMC cess which is levied in the market should be waived off, traders should be given the status of MSMT (Micro Small Medium Traders) and Professional tax for traders should be removed.