Request for registering retailers, construction professionals as MSMEs to be examined: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday assured the Retailers Association of India and Practicing Engineers, Architects and Town Planners Association (India) that their request for registering as MSMEs will be examined expeditiously.

He felt that this needs to be explored from the point of these bodies being employment creators and whether various benefits such as insurance, medical, pension, etc can be provided to workers.

Gadkari, the minister for MSME and road transport and highways, also called upon the retailers to start exploring option of home delivery.

He also asked them to adhere to necessary guidelines like safe social distancing, making available sanitisers for customers/employees and use of masks at all retail outlets.

He was addressing the representatives of Retailers Association of India and Practicing Engineers, Architects and Town Planners Association (India) via video conferencing on the impact of COVID-19 on their respective sectors.

During the interaction, the representatives expressed concerns regarding various challenges being faced by them amid COVID-19 pandemic and also came out with few suggestions and requested support from the government to keep the sector afloat.

Gadkari also called upon the engineers, architects and town planners to participation in the development of rural, tribal and backward regions especially along the green expressways like the new Delhi-Mumbai Expressway which is passing through such areas.

He said various clusters and logistics parks will come up on this ambitious project, offering huge opportunities.