The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the ongoing lockdown until April 30 to check the spread of COVID-19 pandemic across the country.
“CAIT has undertaken a survey with prominent trade leaders of all states and has come to the conclusion that during these troubled times, it would be in the fitness of things, if the current lockdown period is extended up to April 30 to negate any prospects of further spreading of COVID-19,” it said in a press release.
The most vulnerable section of the economy to this pandemic will be small and medium scale traders of India who do not have sufficient resources to sustain in a lockdown period. The severity of the lockdown is likely to hit this sector with brutal force, CAIT national president BC Bhartia and secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said in the press release.
“Nevertheless, in view of the burgeoning number of cases of COVID-19 in India over the last one week, to add impetus to the government’s overall effort to combat the disease and prevent community spread, the business community stands with the government in solidarity. Whatever the decision the government takes, the trading community will abide by such decision and follow the same with its true letter and spirit,” they added.
