PPBM warns to protests outside residences of MPs and MLAs to awaken government towards their genuine demands   

Ludhiana: Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal (PPBM) has warned the Punjab government that if the timing of opening of shops in Ludhiana is not rescheduled at par with other districts by Monday, they would be constrained to launch an agitation.

Addressing the media persons here today, the mandal's state general secretary Sunil Mehra and other leaders namely Pawan Lehar, Gurdeep Singh Gosha and Pawan Malhotra added that traders would sit on hunger strike in their respective offices followed by staging protests outside residences of MPs and MLAs, to get awaken the government.

They said the situation is getting worse in Ludhiana as the shopkeepers are allowed to open their shops for two hours from 10 am to 12 pm daily whereas the shops are open till 3pm in some districts and till 5 pm in some other districts of the state. It is very difficult for the shopkeepers to run their businesses in two hours time, they added.

They said traders have already staged protests on the roads but nobody is noticing as if the government is sleeping. They also regretted that the government has not even announced any package for the traders as has been announced for the farmers. Besides, no relaxation is being given in taxes to the traders community during this pandemic period.

Further, they regretted that traders are being given step-motherly treatment. They said the situation is so worse that the shopkeepers are even unable to keep all their workers, adding the workers are being retrenched in lack of business sales.   

They categorically stated that the Capt Amarinder Singh government will be responsible for all the outcomes, if traders are compelled to stage protests.