Retailers are livid as the e-commerce platforms are allegedly breaking rules that barred delivery of non-essential products during the lockdown in Maharashtra.
The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), an umbrella organisation of brick-and-mortar stores, has written a scathing email to the state government about e-commerce platforms playing unfair.
The shopkeepers who retail non-essential goods like garments, home décor items, bags, etc, had to down their shutters as the state declared a lockdown in mid-April.
Ahead of the announcement of a complete lockdown, the retail shopkeepers had agreed to follow the rules but one of their conditions was that even online shopping of non-essential products be barred so that there is a level playing field.
Currently, only stores selling essential items are allowed to open from 7 am to 11 am.
FRTWA’s email to the Chief Minister’s Office on May 2 states, “Since the past few days, our members have been regularly complaining that in spite of e-commerce platforms not allowed to sell non-essential items in Maharashtra, they are blatantly breaking rules, and defying the order of notification by the Maharashtra government. Kindly ensure that they should not be allowed to sell non-essentials.”
The communication ends with hope for positive action on this count.
Surjitt Sahani
