Amid lockdown-like restrictions across Maharashtra due to coronavirus pandemic, the city’s most efficient network of tiffin service providers -- Mumbai dabbawalas -- are also facing a tough time.
Therefore, the dabbawala community has expressed disappointment over the state government not announcing any relief package for them, as it has done for other sections of the society. Hence, the association said that it is again urging the government for financial help to the dabbawalas.
According to sources, out of 5,000 dabbawalas, only 400-500 were working. With new lockdown restrictions, only 200-250 are now left.
Maharashtra | Mumbai Dabbawalas face economic crunch due to COVID
— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
Our business is only 5% now as we only deliver to essential services' people. Financially, it's a very tough time.Govt should let us travel in trains, it's difficult to travel on bicycle: Spokesman Vishnu Kaldoke pic.twitter.com/E2gPi3RCul
Dabbawalas should also be allowed to do their business, explained Subhash Talekar, President of Mumbai Dabewala Association.
Moreover, the association has also demanded to include their services as an essential service and they should be allowed to travel in the local trains too for the delivery.
In the month of April, as the number of cases was increasing, the Maharashtra government has announced the imposition of Section 144 in the state, under which no more than five persons can gather at a place.
At that time, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had announced that the government will spend INR 5,400 crore to support the people of the state as he had imposed statewide curfew.
The dabbawalas have been serving Mumbaikars for more than a century now. Before the pandemic, they delivered an average of two lakh tiffins of home-cooked food daily to people at their workplaces, picked up directly from their homes.
As the private offices have been asked to operate from home and government offices will run with only 50 per cent staff until May 31, the business of dabbawalas have been affected.
It is speculated that Under 'Break the Chain', the Maharashtra government might relax the lockdown restrictions and give concessions to some services from June 1.
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