Allow shops to open till 7 pm, demand Ambala traders

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, January 4

Unhappy with the government’s directives to close the markets by 5 pm, shopkeepers in Ambala are seeking relaxation in the restriction and permission to keep the shops open till 7 pm.

Surjewala takes swipe at govt

While shops have to shut after 5 pm in five districts as per the Covid curbs, liquor vends remain open. Khattar and Dushyant believe that Covid won’t come to liquor vends, nor will it spread there. — Randeep Surjewala, congress spokeman

Liquor vendors protest, want timings extended up to 11 pm

• Gurugram Liquor vendors have demanded the immediate withdrawal of the govt order to the close shops at 5 pm and extension of timings to 11 pm
• The vendors and workers under the Allied Liquor Association protested at the Excise Dept office and submitted a memorandum in the CM’s name
• The vendors claimed 80% liquor sales took place after 5 pm. “The closure order will not just lead to huge losses but also leave workers unemployed.” OC

As per the new Covid guidelines, the markets are allowed to open till 5 pm from January 2 to 12.

Sarabjit Singh, a shopkeeper said, “A large number of people, especially the office goers, reach markets after 5 pm for purchasing goods but due to the government orders, the markets get shut at 5 pm. Due to the time restrictions on the functioning of shops, the customers who used to reach the market in the evening are also forced to reach early and make the market further overcrowded. The government should allow the shops to remain open till 7 pm at least.”

Ajay Gulati, president, Main Sadar Bazaar Traders Association, said, “Small traders and shopkeepers have already suffered heavy losses due to Covid. Now again, the markets are being closed early and with the sales going down, it will become difficult for the shopkeepers to manage their expenses and ultimately its workers and employees at the shops will lose their jobs. We are ready to cooperate with the administration and follow the Covid guidelines but the timing must be extended.”

Atul Mahajan, president of Vijay Rattan Chowk Association, said, “While the public movement is allowed till night and no guidelines are being followed in political events.”

Meanwhile, Chitra Sarwara, general secretary, Haryana Democratic Front, came in support of the shopkeepers and said, “We understand that the government is worried due to the rise in Covid cases, but closing the market early will not only affect the shopkeepers but also the small vendors and those people who sell their products on the roadsides. We demand that the government should give some relief to them.”