COVID-19: Delhi shopkeepers, traders criticise lockdown extension, demand relief

New Delhi [India], May 17 (ANI): The shopkeepers and traders in the national capital on Sunday said that they have been the worst hit by the lockdown, which they claimed had been done without any proper planning and urged the Delhi government to provide some relief.
Suresh Bindal, Chandni Chowk Traders Parishad President said, " A lockdown is necessary for saving lives, but the Delhi government is constantly extending the lockdown without any planning."
"Instead of imposing a lockdown for a month straight away, the government keeps extending the lockdown by one week adding to the confusion of traders. They have the report from doctors and scientists, why they can't make a scientific decision. The situation is not desirable for traders," he further said.
"For the last year, we have been appealing that fixed meter charges on electricity should be exempted. The charges on the water should also be exempted as shops are not even opening. Many workers have gone to their hometowns forcing shops to shut down," he added.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday informed that lockdown in the national capital has been extended by one more week till next Monday.
The national capital has been under a lockdown since April 19 in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic.
Suresh Mittal, a shopkeeper and an importer, said that the lockdown is directly affecting the merchants and the shopkeepers.
"The most important thing is that government should take an average of GST paid by those registered taxpayers for last three years and to pay that amount to the traders which can be recovered by the government next year. This is just an immediate relief extended to us and that can be recovered by the government," he added.
Another shopkeeper Satendra Agarwal said that more time will be required to deal with the problems arising out of the lockdown adding that "the government should give exemption to merchants for the delay in filing the GST and the deadline for filing income tax should also be extended to December."
Delhi has reported 5,499 new COVID-19 cases, 11,592 recoveries and 337 deaths since 8 pm on Sunday, the Union Health Ministry informed. The Ministry on Monday said that the active number of COVID cases in the national capital stands at 66,295. With the new fatalities, the COVID death toll in the state has mounted to 21,244. (ANI)