This week has gone in lock down, restrictions and redundancy. Mumbai traders took to the streets against the rigorous restrictions forced in the wake of surge in coronavirus cases. Their business has already destroyed and small-time street side vendors closed their shops and looked for a bread arrangement.
Small trader who sells Gudi Padwa related items said, “Gudi Padwa is a new year festival for Maharashtrians and most Hindus. Ahead several weddings are coming up. If we keep the business closed in such a situation, we will all perish of starvation. Where will the people go and without a job, starvation may kill us before COVID.”
In a commercial city like Mumbai, there are 70-80 thousand small big shops where lakhs of employees earn their living. Following this lockdown, we are asking our people to go out of job and starve. How will we survive the week, how will we provide salary to them?”
The traders demanded that the state government relax the norms and give them the ease of doing business. Meanwhile, a partial lockdown was imposed in Maharashtra on Sunday which is quite similar to the country-wide clampdown enforced last year.
The curbs will remain in place till April 30 also Section 144 will be imposed all through the day. Citizens cannot leave their home without a valid reason between 8 pm and 7 am. Only essential services are excluded from these curfew rules.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray indicated the imposition of a strict lockdown in the state due to rising COVID-19 cases in the state. The decision regarding the lockdown is likely to be taken in the next two days after the Chief Minister’s Meeting with the task force. Speaking at an all-party meeting held virtually, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis raised the issue of COVID test reports coming in at intervals of three to ten days, shortage of oxygen and Remdesivir.
Fadnavis said that there should be restrictions, but the outrage among people should also be considered. Meanwhile, Mumbai city reported 9,327 new cases and 50 deaths, while 8,474 people were also discharged in the last 24 hours. In Thane, 1,464 people tested positive for the virus.
