Shutting down grocery stores selling essential daily items will cause inconvenience to citizens and may set off panic buying: Retailers Association of India

Retailers Association of India (RAI) has flagged concerns to different Chief Ministers about police in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, UP and Gujarat beating up employees and delivery staff of retailers while they were doing their duty.

“RAI praises the State governments for allowing essential daily goods and pharmacy retailers to remain open so citizens are not deprived of daily need items. All retailers are committed to selling and delivering essentials in a safe manner,” RAI said in a statement.

“However, in some unfortunate incidents in the States of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat the local police are going beyond word of law, beating employees and delivery staff of such retailers, and taking them to chowkis for doing their duty. These employees are risking their lives for serving citizens,” it added.

“RAI has put forward a request to the Chief Ministers and the DGPs of these States to intervene in this situation so that essential goods are accessible,” it further said.

RAI has requested all the State governments in the country to allow all food and grocery stores within malls or outside, air-conditioned or not air-conditioned, small or large stores and online or offline to stay open during the lockdown period.

“Most of the State governments have agreed with RAI’s view that shutting of stores selling essential daily need items will cause gross inconvenience to citizens and may set off panic buying of daily need items in the State, thereby creating a shortage for the needy,” it said.

RAI has also requested the home deliveries be allowed to prevent people from stepping out of their homes thereby preventing the infection from spreading.