Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal assured large retail operators and e-commerce players such as Flipkart, Amazon India, Metro Cash & Carry, Walmart and Safexpress, that the government was committed to ensuring that essential goods reached people safely during the lockdown period.

Goyal, through a video conference, on Thursday discussed the problems being faced by top players in the retail segment due to the lockdown and how they could be resolved, according to an official statement.

The participants incuded Snapdeal, Shopclues, Grofers, NetMed, PharmEasy, Big Basket, Swiggy and PayTM. The country, at the moment, is in the midst of a 21-day lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19.

Retail shops and e-commerce companies have been complaining about various restrictions being faced by them in delivering products, despite the government’s decision to allow movement of food products and other essentials. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has been regularly engaging with retailers and e-commerce companies to ensure that the supply chain of essential goods is maintained, the statement added.

“As a result of the efforts taken by the DPIIT, the Ministry of Home affairs has issued standard operating procedure for State government’s guidance on how to handle the various aspects related to supply of essential goods,” it said.

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