Brokers want trading hours to be cut down

Brokers find it difficult to run their operations as police and other enforcement agencies are trying to implement the nationwide lockdown. Brokers said their staff are facing harassment while travelling to workplace and being pulled out of their offices. Some brokers even wanted financial markets to be either closed during this period of lockdown or to at least curtail trading times of the market.

Deven Choksey, managing director, K R Choksey Shares & Securities, said, "Our markets must be closed because our staff is being pulled out of offices and they (authorities) are sealing office buildings."

Markets regulator Sebi asked states to exempt notified entities staff from the lockdown.

Vijay Bhushan, president, Association of National Exchanges Members of India representing 900 brokers said, "The law enforcement agencies at the grass root level are still not sensitised about (the Sebi) directive. This has lead to several instances of manhandling the staff of broking firms to travel to/from offices. We have also received requests to suspend broking services…We will be taking up these concerns with Sebi."

Narinder Wadhwa, president, Commodity Market Participants Association of India said, "Brokerage companies and staff are facing huge difficulties in reaching their offices, as the police is not allowing any movement; moreover the workforce engaged in these services is travelling and coming in frequent contact with their clients and other people."