The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT India) in a communication sent to Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal has said that various e-commerce entities even in the ongoing COVID19 induced National emergency are delivering non-essential goods in blatant contravention of lockdown guidelines imposed by various State Governments. Full text of the letter is as follows:-
Ref No. 3213/1/50
13th May.2021
Shri Piyush Goyal
Hon’ble Minister for Commerce
Government of India
New Delhi
Dear Shri Piyush Goyal Ji,
Subject: Strict Action against E-Commerce Entities for Violation of Restrictions on Account of Covid 19 Pandemic by Sale of Non-Essential Goods, against government orders.
1. We would like to bring to your kind attention the violation being undertaken be some e-commerce entities even in the ongoing COVID.19 induced national emergency. E-commerce entities have been delivering non-essential goods in blatant contravention of lockdown guidelines imposed by the state government.
2. The sole purpose of the lockdown is to limit human-to-human interaction and reduce exposure of the general population to the COVID-19 virus and thereby break the chain of spread of COVID-19. Therefore, all non-essential activities, including the sale and delivery of non-essential items, are prohibited during the lockdown.
3. As a part of ‘break the chain”, the State government have barred the sale and delivery of non-essential goods and services. The members of CAIT have implemented these orders in letter and spirit even though it has caused severe economic hardship to our menders who happen to be small merchants/Kirana traders.
4. With extreme pain and anguish, we want to bring to your notice that some e-commerce companies, especially multinational be hemoths, in blatant violation of Government instructions/order, are selling non-essential goods under the garb, of essential goods and are putting at risk, the lives of a large number of people engaged in selling, warehousing, transportation, last mile delivery and of customers to whom deliveries are being made. Such e-commerce sale and delivery defeats the very purpose of the lockdown and increases exposure to the virus multifold only because of the lust of these companies to increase their market share by selling non-essential items.
5. Sale of non-essential items through e-commerce does not reduce the risk of exposure and spread of virus to the public but only shifts that risk from one set of people to the other set of people who generally belong to more vulnerable sections of the society and have to risk their lives to earn their living. The multinational behemoths cannot be allowed to put the life of Indian citizens at risk to earn a few lucks and to further their businesses which are already riled up in several illegalities and are being investigated by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for predatory pricing and deep discounting and by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.
6. We, therefore, humbly request you and your good office to take strict action against e-commerce entities involved in the delivery of non-essential goods and service for violation of pandemic restrictions.
7. Further, the sale of non-essential goods, be it through e-commerce or physical retail, should only be allowed as and when the pandemic situation improves and trading of non-essential goods becomes safe for the health and well-being of our citizens.
Thank You. With kind regards
Yours truly
Praveen Khandelwal
National Secretary General
Confederation of All India Traders
It is unfortunate that association has made a general complaint against e-commerce companies who are really helping the people across the country at this hour. They could have made specific case with evidence for taking action instead of general one…At the same time why they have not complained about black marketers of drugs and oxygen
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