Traders cry foul over COVID restrictions, demand tax relief

It’s back to square one in Chennai with partial lockdowns and the increasing corona infection.

Trade bodies and industries based in the city demand tax relief and moratorium from centre and state governments.

Traders in Chennai have also started working on packing five-kilo bags of rice and half kilo dhal packets that move fast as relief materials.

Meanwhile, Dravidian majors DMK and AIADMK have started implementing the last year model of distributing ‘kabasura kudineer’, masks and food packets to the congested pockets in Chennai.

“The coronavirus induced lockdown has restricted the movement of public and there are issues affecting common man. We have restarted the last year model of serving food, soap, masks and kabasurakudineer to help people in Saidapet,” said DMK legislator M Subramanian who kick started the drive in his Saidapet constituency on Saturday.

The BJP which had conducted blood donation camps to meet the growing demand for blood had also instructed its party functionaries to distribute materials that will help public to stay safe from covid infections.

Meanwhile trade bodies and industry organisations have demanded relief packages and moratorium due to increased lockdown norms. “Already the cinema industry is in bad shape and the government had now announced the lockdown. We are forced to pay the commercial current charges and property taxes at a time when our properties are not rusting without public,” Tiruppur Subramanian told reporters demanding moratorium and tax relief from governments.

The traders are yet to recover from last year corona lockdown and now another lockdown restriction is implemented. The traders are subjected to severe stress and the police harass the traders and vendors on a daily basis by imposing fine, Tamil Nadu Vanaigar Sangangalin Peramaippu, president, Vikrama Raja told media demanding better relief and assistance from governments that impose lockdown restrictions.