CCI highlights demands of traders dealing with non-essential goods
27-05-2021: Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI), Jammu held an urgent meeting under the chairmanship of its President Arun Gupta to discuss on priority the issues of traders dealing with non-essential goods.
At the outset of the meeting, the CCI President said that CCI being the apex body of traders has extended wholehearted support to the government of J&K UT in its efforts to contain corona virus surge on account of the prevailing second wave and also joined hands with the helmsmen by augmenting relief to the COVID-19 affected by providing free meals, medicines and even arranging oxygen for the needy. He said despite the enthusiasm shown by the trading community of Jammu in ameliorating people’s problems and standing shoulder to shoulder with the government, those steering the administration have not considered the plight of traders dealing with non-essential items as their shops are shut since day one when the lockdown was announced making them jobless for the last over one month.
The Chamber President informed during the meeting that several market associations have approached CCI Jammu to take up this issue and ask the government to give these traders time slots of at least three days a week so that they could also be able to earn their livelihood with dignity and honour. He said that the government has not taken things in the right perspective leading to the devastation of this section of businessmen who were already facing tough times due to disease and last year’s curbs. “It is, therefore, requested that the government should not forget the traders of non-essential commodities while forming the SOPs by allowing them adequate time slots on weekdays”, he maintained.
Arun Gupta also raised the issue of the government giving a time slot of two hours to aforesaid shopkeepers to check the stocks in odd hours starting from 8 PM. He said that two hours are inadequate and the time slot given is quite odd as employees of the shops remain reluctant to visit the markets late in the night. He said it is advisable to give such relaxation during day time to make the whole exercise fruitful.
The Chamber President said that loss incurred by the traders in Jammu is in crores and therefore the government should come up with some sop for the trading community which is baffled due to uncertainty in the market due to the second wave of corona and people shirking to buy goods which are on and off not so essential.
The Chamber in one voice appealed to the Lt Governor to come to the rescue of businessmen fraternity in the region as already they are passing through testing times and the new lockdown is irking them with no respite in sight in near future.
The President CCI appealed to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to announce a relief package for the traders in view of the suspension of business activities in the wake of the second wave of the Covid pandemic.
Those others who were present in the meeting include Sh. Anil Gupta Sr. Vice-President, Sh. Rajeev Gupta Jr. Vice President, Sh. Gaurav Gupta Secretary-General and Sh. Rajesh Gupta Secretary.
