NEW DELHI: Shopkeepers, restauranters, and bar owners in the national capital heaved a major sigh of relief on Thursday evening. After its meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) announced the lifting of the odd-even protocol of opening shops and weekend curfew from January 29.
For a long time, traders and shop owners were holding potests demanding end to the restrictions as they were facing huge losses.
Earlier, the traders and shopkeepers presented a memorandum to the L-G demanding that curbs be lifted. But, the proposal was rejected. However, there is no relief for students and teachers as all education centres have been asked to remain closed till further orders. The night curfew remains enforced as earlier.
Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders’ Association Vice-Chairmen Paramjit Singh Pamma said, “Approximately 40 lakh business establishments were suffering heavy losses due to curfew. Their misery has ended now. I humbly request the Delhi government to be considerate towards the traders’ community while taking such decisions in the future.”
Lajpat Nagar Traders’ Association General Secretary Ashwani Marwah said, “We will continue our business following all Covid norms. We are thankful to the government, L-G, and DDMA for listening to our request to lift the weekend curfew and abolish the odd-even protocol. Also, the relaxation in the restaurant industry is a very welcome move”.
National Restaurant Association India Head Riyaaz Amlani said, “Though we thank the government, we still feel that the 10 pm deadline for closing is not justified. We request the authorities to restore the full-timing so that our business can bounce back.” Elegant Banquet owner Sonal Gautam said, “Owing to the restrictions, many of our customers had to shift to UP and Haryana in January, resulting in heavy business losses. Now we hope to recover the losses.”
However, the relief is yet to reach the gyms in Delhi. Delhi Gym Association claimed that it had not received any order from the DDMA.
Delhi Gym Association Vice-President Chirag Sethi said, “The closure is like a death warrant to gym owners. It’s an irony that bars and liquor shops are allowed to function, while gyms that build people’s immunity are facing closure. We are exploring legal options to challenge this closure in the court of law.”