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Dimapur, June 22 (EMN): Traders and shop owners in New Market, Hazi Park and Hongkong Market in Dimapur, numbering around 2000, continue to face hardships as they have no income or relief with the lockdown period almost breaching the 100-day mark.
Speaking to Eastern Mirror, Kamti Chophy, who runs a women's garment shop in New Market, shared the plight of being under 92 days of lockdown since March.
“I have to pay rent to the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) every month, apart from electricity bills and my daughters’ school fees; I am not in a position to pay for all that every month with my shop closed,” said Chophy.
She informed that no relief of any kind was provided to the shop owners of the market. “We depend on everyday sales from our shop to have a meal at home and save just enough to pay bills,” she shared.
With no government order to lift the restrictions yet, Chophy shared that if lockdown has to be imposed, it should be applied to all markets.
“It is not only New Market or Hazi Park that will get a positive Covid case; if all other places can be opened, why not ours?” questioned Chophy.
Another shop owner, SP Joshi, who runs a shop in New Market, said that there has been no income for the past three months, due to which his family went back to their native place.
“I give a rent fee of INR 6000 to DMC every month but we have faced huge losses in the past three months; it is so confusing why they will not let us run our businesses when everyone else can,” shared Joshi.
Another problem Joshi shared was that it has been difficult to pay the salaries of his employees. “If they leave me now because of non-payment of salary, I will have a tough time once my store reopens,” shared Joshi.
“I hope the government can understand our hardship and take a decision at the earliest; it is just not me but for everyone who is a seller at New Market,” said Joshi adding that so many stores have been infested by rats and goods damaged in the past few months.
The GB of New Market (Ward 19), Khekishe Aye, also spoke to this newspaper and informed that a memorandum had been sent to the chief secretary after a meeting with the district administration and DMC recently.
“We gave three options for opening the shops; odd-even days, alternate days or according to timings depending on what type of shop,” informed Aye.
“The shop owners are suffering immensely but so far, there has been no positive response from the government,” he said.
Earlier on June 2, he had appealed to the district administration to take down the containment order, which has been in place since the lockdown started, and requested for an early opening of the market to ease the hardships of the traders.
"If we are allowed to open, we will make sure that the social distancing is maintained," Aye had assured earlier.