Mohali traders oppose odd-even

Gaurav Kanthwal
Tribune News Service
Mohali, August 24

Traders in Phase VII here today defied Municipal Corporation and police officials who came to enforce odd-even system in the market.

Shopkeepers refused to pull down shutters of their shops after a prolonged phase of negotiations. Eventually, MC officials and the police left the place, promising to return tomorrow to enforce the order.

The traders said they would sit on a dharna if they were forced to close shops tomorrow. Additional restrictions to close shops after 6:30 pm and odd-even system for opening shops had not gone down well with the businessmen.

They said the odd-even system effectively left them with eight days of business in a month, which had made their livelihood unsustainable.

“Most of the shopkeepers have left the business as it is not possible to pay rent amounting to lakhs. We do not have money to pay salaries to our employees. They too have families to feed. Some of us have shifted our businesses to basements or godowns to save the rent but the administration is hell bent on ruining us,” said Sarabjit Singh Paras, general secretary, Mohali Beopar Mandal.

The traders said: “The administration is forcing us to close shops. However, it is unable to check liquor vends, which are open well past 10 pm”.

The deadline was also breached at the VIP Road market in Zirakpur.

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