Don’t impose heavy fines on traders: Vellaiyan urges TN govt

Talking to reporters here, he said retail trade has been badly hit in all the districts, and all of them right from grocery shops to tea shops, has to fight with full vigour to get back the livelihood which took a beating during the lockdown.

At a time when the government should work in support of the traders to enable them to come back from the lockdown, the government has been restoring to harassment like imposing hefty fines if any of the consumer comes to the shop without wearing facemasks, besides demandingpayment of industrial tax from 2018.

‘’These are totally unjustified and the authorities should drop such measures’’, Vellayan said, adding, all the officials, including in Corporations, Municipalities and Panchayats, besides those shops functioning under the government departments like HR and CE, should stop from forcible collection of rent.

He also urged the government to waive off the rent for the period April to September in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, in the interest of the retail traders. He also wanted the banks to waive the interest component on the loans given for retail traders for the lockdown period.

While welcoming opening of Koyambedu market, which was closed after it became a COIVD-19 hotspot, Vellaiyan wanted the government tomake alternate arrangements for 80 per cent of the traders, who could not open their shops in view of the restrictions.