Merchant bodies across the State has expressed displeasure over the relaxations announced by the Chief Minister on Saturday, citing that they are hardly adequate to overcome the crisis faced by the commercial sector.
A joint meeting of bodies such as the Malabar Development Council (MDC), Wayanad Chamber of Commerce, Small Scale Building Owners’ Association and All Kerala Consumer Goods Distributors’ Association requested the State to allow relaxations in all sectors so that all establishments could start functioning normally following COVID-19 protocol.
Citing the uncontrollable crowd formed at S.M. Street in Kozhikode on Friday and Sunday, the merchant bodies pointed out that impractical and unscientific restrictions, besides apprehensions led to the situation.
The State should adopt the policy followed by many foreign countries in this matter by allowing all establishments to function and extending their working time, the organisations said.
Most entrepreneurs were in severe debt, and without any support from the government, were on the verge of suicide. If the lockdown continued, the pending stocks would become unsaleable resulting in further crisis.
The building owners’ association pointed out that most of its members had waived rents of their buildings during the lockdown period, but did not even get a relaxation of building tax from the government.
MDC president C.E. Chakkunni presided over the meeting.
