CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, June 18: As section 144 continues to dawn upon the Main Road part of the city, the majority of businesses in the heart of the city have been greatly affected. If not more, there has been around 70-80% decline in the profit of business owners of the main road due to low selling time (1-5 pm).
The secretary general of the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce & Industries (FJCCI) Rahul Maroo expressed his resentment with the decision of the district administration to allow the shops to only function for four hours a day (1 pm-5 pm).
“What district administration is doing currently is not at all right. The businesses are getting affected greatly. We do not have accurate data but there have been around 70-80% losses in businesses. By doing so, the administration is just spreading fear in the mind of the people,” he said.
He added that the administration is portraying a wrong image by forcing shopkeepers to shut their shops at 5 pm every day and said that by doing so a wrong image is being portrayed.
“No proper initiative is being taken by the government in this regard and all they are saying is ‘wait and watch’. The administration will monitor the condition for 48 hours and then will make a decision. It could have been done earlier as well since on Friday everything was done so peacefully,” he added.
He said that if the administration can deploy 5,000 police personnel in the city then why shops can’t be reopened and let them perform their duty. He further added that since it’s monsoon season, people tend to shop in the evening after 5 pm.
However, the shops are getting closed at 5 due to section 144 and this has greatly affected the business owner in the main road area. He has requested the authorities to kindly take a decision at the earliest so that business owners don’t suffer any further.
