Act against e-commerce companies flouting lockdown norms: HC
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday directed the state government to immediately take action against erring e-commerce websites violating the Break the Chain norms while delivering non-essential goods. The HC also sought to know what relief the state and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposed to give retailers on the lines of those given to hawkers etc with regards to a waiver of license and other fees, given the lockdown. The state and BMC have been asked to file affidavits in three weeks and posted hearing of the petition on June 21.
The vacation bench of justice RD Dhanuka and justice Madhav Jamdar, while hearing the petition filed by the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association, was informed by advocate Dipesh Siroya that retail shop owners selling non-essential items had suffered heavy losses, financial instability and mass unemployment due to Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown. In light of this, the retailers were seeking a waiver of property tax, renewal fees and license fees payable by them for the entire period of lockdown starting from March, last year.
It was submitted that though the retailers had supported the government announced lockdown, there was no reciprocal subsidy for the closure of trade for the over 13 lakh retailers who employed approximately 45 lakh employees.
The federation also claimed that it had made several representations for tax waivers to various authorities including the BMC, but after they did not receive any response, hence, approached the HC.
Advocate Jamshed Mistry for the federation said that while incentives were given to licensed hawkers and others during the pandemic crisis, no package was announced for retail traders, hence they were aggrieved.
The federation also said that though various standard operating procedures (SOPS) including April 13 ‘Break the Chain’ order was issued only for supply and provision of essential goods and services, the e-commerce suppliers were supplying non-essential goods and services and violating the state directives, hence they should be stopped.
The court directed the state government to take immediate action against errant e-commerce companies if they were flouting guidelines and also asked the state to file an affidavit in reply to the petition in two weeks enumerating the incentives given to hawkers and why the same could not be extended to retail traders.