Traders lose business worth Rs 46,000 crore amid curbs

NEW DELHI: Retail and wholesale businesses across the country have taken a hit of Rs 46,000 crore in the last 10 days amid curfews and partial lockdowns across several states.

According to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), retail businesses have taken a hit of Rs 32,000 crore, while wholesale businesses have suffered a loss of Rs 14,000 crore. Nearly 60 per cent of consumers are avoiding visits to markets due to the daily steep rise of Covid cases, the traders' body said in a statement.

In Maharashtra, there has been a loss of business about Rs 10,000 crore in the retail segment, while that in the wholesale segment stood at Rs 4,000 crore.

In Chhattisgarh, the retail business has suffered a loss of about Rs 1,200 crore and the wholesale trade has seen a loss of about Rs 600 crore. The retail trade in Gujarat has suffered a loss of about Rs 4,800 crore and a loss of about Rs 2,200 crore has been caused to the wholesale trade.

Similarly, retail traders in Delhi have lost Rs 3,000 crore of business, and the wholesale trade has suffered a loss of about Rs 1,400 crore. Industry representatives along with the traders' body have appealed to the Centre and state governments to not go ahead with lockdowns and instead ramp up the vaccination drive and implement stringent safety norms. (IANS)