NEW DELHI: The decision on the opening of shops on an odd-even basis has drawn flak from shopkeepers in the national capital. The traders of the popular wholesale market Sadar Bazar expressed their protest against the system and curfew by the city government by tying black ribbons on their hands.
One of the shopkeepers said, “How will we pay our bills if there is no employment in the market?” Paramjeet Singh Pamma, the vice-chairman of the Federation of Sadar Bazar, said, “We’ve asked the government to abolish this system. If it is not removed, we will continue our protest by plate banging on 19 January.”
He added, “Our chief minister is advertising his election schemes to UP, Goa, Punjab by visiting door-to-door, so why all the barriers are there for the people in Delhi. No government, no party is raising their voice in favour of employees and businessmen. Workers are feeling helpless due to this as they are incurring heavy financial losses.
No matter if shops are opening or not people are struggling to pay electricity bills. How will they pay their bills if there is no sale in the market? We insist that the government focus on illegal hawkers and vendors as they are the super spreaders of Covid.”
Sanjay Bhargava of Chandni Chowk Association said: “I am with Mr Pamma. We are in the same boat. We are equally suffering the pain of traders due to the odd-even protocol. The normal shopkeeper always suffers in the middle.”