The Pune district administration ordering a week-long 12-hour night curfew starting 6 pm tomorrow has unsettled migrant workers, and rekindled fears of workers moving away, according to the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA).

If workers decided to migrate back home, the retail and contact-based services sector would be further impacted. The hospitality sector has been operating at less than affordable occupancy levels for too long, MCCIA stated.

Sudhir Mehta, President, MCCIA and Prashant Girbane, Director General, MCCIA said the industry welcomes the decision not to lockdown but suspension of municipal bus service will impact industry workers facing multiple shifts. “It’s also difficult for smaller companies, hospital staff and citizens travelling for vaccination. We appeal to the administration to run civic buses with all safety precautions like capacity utilisation limits per bus during this period” MCCIA demanded.

“We request the industry members to follow all announced/published protocols to ensure that the administration is not compelled to make restriction even more stringent. We also appeal to the central government to open up vaccination for all above 18 years so that the maximum number of the working-age population is protected and is able to contribute economically to the national recovery” MCCIA stated.

MCCIA has demanded that priority must be given to areas like Pune that are most affected by the spread of the pandemic.

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