AAP urges Maharashtra govt to withdraw curbs on restaurants, shops

Mumbai, April 6

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday appealed to the Maharashtra government to withdraw the order to shut shops and restaurants as part of the curbs to check the spread of coronavirus.

The party’s state unit has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, urging him to withdraw the government order to shut shops and businesses under the new ‘break the chain’ protocol.

The closure of retail outlets breaks the back of the economy, as their operation is a part of the chain that sustains, not only businesses and their employees, but also transport and manufacturing companies, the letter stated.

The radical lockdown decision taken by the state government is expected to have an economic impact of Rs 40,000 crore, it stated.

Hotels, trade and transport sectors in the state are being expected to bear the brunt of this damage, which will force many businesses to fire workers, incur unbearable losses, and ultimately, shut their shops permanently, the party said.

Daily-wage workers and small-scale vendors will not be able to bear the damaging impact of this new policy, given that their livelihoods are yet to recover from the 2020 lockdown.

The state cannot afford more economic losses, and hence, the government must deliberate with the Industry Association of Retailers and Restaurateurs, and come up with more viable solutions, like odd/even, ticketed entries to crowded markets, moving hawkers to playgrounds and maidans to decongest the markets, etc, the party said.

“We look forward to the government’s action to save our local businesses and economy,” AAP Mumbai in-charge Preeti Sharma Menon said. PTI