Traders resent govt order to impose penalty on them for violation of Covid protocol by buyers

Nagpur, Dec 5

Traders in Nagpur have opposed the State government order imposing penalty of Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,0000 on commercial establishments if anybody is found not wearing mask inside the shops- including buyers. According to traders, this order of the government is unjust and have urged government to repeal this order in the best interest of the traders.

‘Traders are once again targetted’

President of Nag-Vidarbha Chamber of Commerce, Ashwin Mehadia while talking to the Lokmat Times said the order dated November 27 is unjust because if someone is not found putting up mask on a road, a fine of only Rs 500 is imposed on him or her. However, traders who are constantly co-operating with the government for the past two years in its fight against raging Covid pandemic are once again targeted

when government has decided to toughen the restrictions in the wake of resurgence of the omicron virus in the country and the State. Though the decision to impose the restrictions is welcome from safety point of view, yet it is impractical to recover penalty from traders anybody is found violating the order inside their shops.

Govt wants to skirt its responsibility’

General secretary of Nagpur Chillar Kirana Vyapari Sangh, Dyaneshwar Rakshak said even as alarm bells for the third wave of Covid have started ringing, the State government has introduced a new protocol which is unjust to the small traders. He said that goverment wants to avoid its responsibility by asking traders to ensure if shoppers have taken both doses of vaccines or have put up masks or not.

Similarly, government has assigned the responsibility of recovering fine for not wearing masks to the officers who have no knowledge of the law.If people are violating Covid protocol, it is the

responsibility of people's representatives to enlighten people about safety of using masks. In any case, it is wrong on the part of government to hold traders responsible for breach of Covid protocol by visitors to the shop

‘Traders' business would be affected’

Vice-president of Nagpur Chillar Kirana Vyapari Sangh, Anil Nagpal said order of the government is wrong because if traders ask buyers to wear mask, they argue and leave the shop. This also affectstheir business. So, should traders do their business or ask buyers to follow Covid-protocol? he asked.

‘Traders would be forced to take to streets’

Vice-president of NVCC Swapnil Ahirkar said it is the responsibility of the local administration to see if people are wearing masks at public places including shops and fine is imposed on the violator of the

law and not the shopkeepers. Already traders are harried by the after effects of Covid lockdown in the

past two years. Under such conditions if traders are forced to pay the fine for the buyers not wearing masks in their shops, then they will be left with no option, but to take to streets for opposing the draconian order.

‘Govt has ignored traders' concerns’

Secretary of NVCC Ramavatar Totla said traders particularly, small traders have suffered heavy economic hardship in the last two years, though their business had come to a grinding halt. Apart from paying salary wages to their employees, they also had to pay various taxes to the government, file returns, pay bills and bank EMIS. Under such conditions, instead of paying economic package to them, government

is ignoring their concern, he opined