Aizawl: An apex body of merchants associations in Mizoram on Friday asked the state government to revise the existing Covid-19 guidelines to allow shops to open on a daily basis under strict adherence to Covid-19 Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) in all parts of the state irrespective of those areas declared as ‘red-zone’.
Mizoram Merchants’ Association (MIMA), an umbrella body of 23 trader associations in the state, through a statement, demanded a relief package to compensate for their loss if the government fails to allow them to open their shops daily.
The association also said that it would hold an executive meeting to decide its future course of action if the government fails to revise the existing standard operating procedure (SOP).
Barring shops that deal with eateries, groceries, medicines, meat and vegetables, all shops in red-zones are now opened on alternate days on an odd-even basis in a bid to prevent further spread of COVID-19 according to the guidelines issued on February 4.
The guidelines will be in force in all parts of the state until further order.
In Aizawl district alone, about 80 villages or neighbourhoods are currently under red-zone. MIMA president PC Laldinthara said that traders and shopkeepers in the state have faced acute financial crisis due to the prolonged lockdown and closure of their shops for several days.
He said that traders and shopkeepers have put their shutters down inconsecutively for more than 200 days now since the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020. He said that they have incurred huge losses and many traders could not repay their loan and room rents due to prolonged closure of their shops.
“We are now under huge financial burden as we have to pay loan interest, room rent, various bills and also salaries to our boys and girls who are employed to manage our shops,” Laldinthara told EastMojo.
He said a sizeable number of traders have already permanently shut their shops for failing to pay their rents. The merchant leader said that their opinions are sought by the government every time guidelines are made but to no avail.
“We used to request the government to ensure that traders do not face problems because we believe that shops are not the main sources of transmission. Our medical experts also agreed with us. But every time SOPs are issued, we are at the receiving end,” he said.
Laldinthara also claimed that the association has conducted a survey on over 3,500 shops in Aizawl during the festive season between December and January, out of which only one shop reported about the detection of COVID-19 cases among his two employees, who were believed to have contracted it from their neighbours.
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