Business fraternity cries foul over weekend curfew; demands rollback

Mysore/Mysuru: Has COVID-19 turned into an owl? Or will it affect those moving only during weekends? The businessmen of Mysuru are asking these questions as the State Government has extended weekend curfew and night curfew to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

“There is one law for all political leaders who are free to hold their rallies and mega shows taking along thousands of followers while there is one law for businessmen who are being harassed every time in the name of restrictions and virus control. How fair is this,” office-bearers of the Federation of Organisations and Associations of Mysuru (FOAM) questioned.

The Federation has urged the Government to withdraw weekend curfew immediately in the interests of the business fraternity and as well as the common man. Addressing a press meet at Pathrakarthara Bhavan this morning, the Federation Secretary M.R. Rajaram, who is also the Vice-President of Karnataka Film Exhibitors Federation, termed the fresh set of Government guidelines on weekend curfew and 50:50 rule in places of public gatherings as irrational and unscientific and also unnecessary at this stage.

Maintaining that the COVID-induced lockdowns and curfews for the past two years following the outbreak of the deadly COVID pandemic, has dealt a severe blow to all service sector industries and such other commercial establishments such as hotels, malls and theatres, Rajaram reiterated that the Government must review its curfew protocol and withdraw weekend curfews, 50:50 ratio and such other norms. 

Arguing that weekend curfew has badly hit employees of all commercial establishments and such others, he observed that the Government should have taken into consideration the livelihood of lakhs of people before announcing the guidelines.

Asserting that all commercial establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, malls etc., will strictly follow the new Government guidelines, he opined that the Government should trust them and withdraw the weekend curfew.

Contending that the first weekend curfew of the New Year did not see much success, he said that though non-essential services shops and establishments were closed, people moved around freely on roads in almost all localities.

Association President B.S. Prashanth, Vice-President C. Narayanagowda, office-bearers Sathyanarayana and S.K. Dinesh, who also spoke, echoed the same view and wanted the Government to withdraw all unnecessary regulations like weekend curfew and 50:50 ratio considering the fact that the pandemic will not strike only on weekends. They said that they will take all precautions and safety measures to check the spread of the virus.