Covid blues: Traders seek relief in lockdown timings

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 30

On behalf of traders, the Khel Udyog Sangharsh Samiti has written to the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to grant them extra time after the lockdown hours. Such is the condition that the traders are left with no option but to operate their shops by closing their shutters.

Ravinder Dhir, Convener, Khel Udyog Sangharsh Samiti, said, the industry has been allowed to work 24×7 to ensure uninterrupted production and continuity in exports.

“We would like to bring in to your kind notice that not just industry, but even many traders in Jalandhar are getting export orders, but due to restricted working hours, it is getting impossible to complete them on time which is why the work is suffering,” he said, adding that at present, they are allowed to open their shops from 9 to 5 for five days.

“Keeping in mind the above-mentioned issue, we request you to allow some extra time to traders who are bound to complete orders in time,” the letter reads. Meeting the orders is very important for all of us as non-fulfillment of which will not only result in economic loss, but this will also affect future orders, the traders have rued.

The traders said there were no domestic orders because of the lockdown and restrictions in several states which was already affecting the works, but orders from outside are there, but because of no proper time, they are finding it difficult to meet orders.

Lockdown has been imposed in Hyderabad, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Bengal and the market is allowed to open for a few hours, so, doing business in this scenario is not even possible.

One of the traders said there was hardly any work. “But, sometimes, we do get orders to export, but that is also problematic as we aren’t getting enough time to complete orders,” he said.