On Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor Saxena granted approval to declare holidays from September 8-10 due to the summit. A notification stated that all government and private offices, along with educational institutions, will remain closed during these days. This decision was made after considering the recommendation from the Delhi Police to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, and followed by this Chief Minister Kejriwal endorsed the proposal and forwarded the same to Lieutenant Governor for approval.
According to a Delhi government official, the choice to shut down the market in specific areas was made in response to a request from the Delhi Police. The intention behind this decision was to minimize any kind of inconvenience to the public in the state. An anonymous government official mentioned that, markets such as Connaught Place, Malcha Marg, Khan Market, Shankar Market, Janpath,Mohan Singh Place, and Palika Bazaar will observe closures, “All establishments within these markets, including restaurants and bars, will not be opened.” Meanwhile, markets outside the New Delhi area, including popular ones like Lajpat Nagar and Chandni Chowk, will continue to operate as usual.
According to Hindustan Times, numerous traders reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marked Chief Minister Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Saxena, and expressed their disagreement with the state government’s plan to close markets falling within the jurisdiction of New Delhi police on September 8, 9, and 10 due to the upcoming G20 Summit.
The traders stated that a 4-day long termination would lead to huge financial losses and they requested the officials to reconsider the decision regarding the closure from September 7 to 10, including Janmashtami on 7th September. The traders expressed their astonishment at the decision, particularly regarding the extensive renovations that had been taken to upscale the market.
Sanjeev Mehra, President of the Khan Market Traders Association, highlighted the popularity of the market among foreign tourists and its history of hosting dignitaries like the President of Brazil and the daughter of former US President Bill Clinton. “People were amazed by the announcement relating to the market closure, with response to the renovation work that was undertaken for the G20 Summit.” Mehra requested the government to reconsider the decision of the market disclosure. He assured that the traders are committed to stand by the operating procedures provided by the government for the summit. “Most of the people working in shops of Khan Market had underwent the verification process”, he emphasized.
