Mohali traders defy weekend lockdown

Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 5

Most shopkeepers opened their shops in the town, defying the weekend lockdown imposed by the Mohali administration.

The markets at Phase I, II, V and VII remained open today and people were seen shopping there. Last week too, shopkeepers had defied the weekend lockdown but the police eventually prevailed over and got the shops closed. Today, a large number of shops remained open.

‘Losing bIz to UT’

The administration is not seeing that Mohali residents are now going to Chandigarh to buy things.-  Sarabjit Singh Paras, General secretary, Mohali Beopar Mandal

‘Can’t meet expenses’

Due to the weekend lockdown in Mohali, it is impossible for us to recover the running cost of the shop. - Amrik Singh Sajan, a shopkeeper at Phase 3B2

Vineet Verma, president, Mohali Chamber of Commerce, said, “Traders do not want to clash with the administration but the government should understand their compulsion and let them do business. Most of them have to pay rent for their shops. There are other expenses also. The administration is ruining the traders financially so it was decided to open the shops today.”

Sarabjit Singh Paras, general secretary, Mohali Beopar Mandal, said, “There is no lockdown in Chandigarh and shops remain open on the weekend as well. However, we are not allowed to open shops on the weekend. The administration is not seeing that Mohali residents are now going to Chandigarh to buy things.”

Amrik Singh Sajan, a shopkeeper from Phase 3B2, said, “Due to the weekend lockdown, the shops are opened only 20 days a month. It is impossible to recover the running cost of the shop, pay electricity bills, workers’ salaries and meet other expenses.”

The shopkeepers’ major grouse is that all rules and regulations are imposed on them while liquor vends are operating with no fear of the police or the administration. “They are open on all days till 11 o’ clock. Is this justice? Is this how they are going to control the pandemic,” asked an irate shopkeeper.

The shopkeepers refused to close their shops and staged a protest demonstration when the police tried to close the markets. Some shops in the Phase VII market were open till 7 pm.

“If the government has imposed a lockdown then the traders’ tax, GST and electricity bills should be waived and people should be stopped from going out for non-essential activities,” said another shopkeeper. Sources said a group of traders had been holding meetings for the past two days.