With their businesses in doldrums owing to the extended lockdown, a section of traders on MG Road in the city have urged the district administration to permit them to reopen their shops.
In a memorandum submitted to the District Collector, the traders flagged the closure of shops on one side on the MG Road that formed part of the Thampanoor ward that has been designated as a containment zone, while those on the other side, part of the Vanchiyoor ward, have been operating.
They said the lockdown that came into effect in March-end had left them struggling to sustain rentals, staff salaries, and bank liabilities. They also highlighted the plight of employees who had been finding it difficult to make both ends meet. MG Road was the nerve centre of retail business in the district that catered to over 2000 employees, they added.
