MARKETS TO REMAIN OPEN: CAIT

NEW DELHI: Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Sunday announced that the commercial markets in national Capital will remain open for the time being after it held a meeting of 275 market leaders via video conferencing.

CAIT, in a statement, stated that it was satisfied with the decisions taken after the meeting that took place between Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi LG Anil Baijal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind

Kejriwal to assess the COVID19 situation in Delhi. However, if the situation worsens the respective Trade Associations will take any decision about the respective market either to open the market, use an odd-even rule or alternate days or four-day openings and three days closing of shops, said CAIT officials. Significantly, in a survey conducted by the CAIT, 88 per cent traders had said on Saturday that markets in the Capital should be closed in light of the increasingly worsening situation in Delhi.

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that over the last 10 days the situation in Delhi had become extremely alarming and there was widespread fear and insecurity among the traders of Delhi who had been making repeated requests to take up the matter urgently with the Centre and state governments. Khandelwal further said that while some markets have decided to close completely till June 30, some want to operate on alternate days whereas some want to operate for four days a week or have chosen to work on alternate days.

At the meeting of trade leaders, it was decided that the since each market has different dynamics in terms of wholesale or retail and customer flow is different for each market, the social distancing norms vary from market to market and based on their own perception and number of COVID-19 cases, individual markets may take their own decision in the best interest of the traders and customers of Delhi.