Ranchi, June 2 (IANS) Garments and footwear shops owners on Tuesday protested against the Jharkhand government for not allowing them to open their shops as part of the easing of the lockdown.
The state government under Unlock 1.0 has not allowed garment and footwear shops to open and so shop owners are unhappy.
“The state has ignored the garment sector. The state government seems to have given importance to luxury items instead of basis items like garments, footwear, tailoring” said shop owner Punit Jain.
Echoing his view another garment shop owner Reema Poddar said “The state government is concerned about the migrant labourers but it has forgotten that around 20 lakh people are dependent on garment shops. More than two months have passed in lockdown how we will make payments to our staff?”
The shop owners protested in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Dumka and other parts of the state. Along with garment and footwear, cosmetics, tailor shops, gift shops and other shop owners also lodged their protest.
The Jharkhand government on Monday announced a series of steps which will speed up pace of growth in the state including opening of some shops, showrooms and inter district movement of public transport.
An order in this regard has been issued by the Home Prison and Disaster Management Department.
The government has decided to open service centres of mobiles, watches, consumer electronics and IT related products where as call centres of private companies are also set to open.
Shops selling capital goods, heavy machinery, generators, IT hardware, telecom products, electrical products, consumer electronics, automobile, cycle, tractors, auto accessories, spectacles and watches and jewellery shops will also open along with kitchenware and furniture.
The government has also allowed opening of garage and motor workshops in urban areas while restaurants will also open but they would only provide home delivery and take away of food items.
In a major respite inter district plying of public transport by autorickshaw, tempos and e-rickshaw have been also permitted. However the order shall remain in force for a period till June 30 only.
–IANS
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