The worst affected will be small brick and mortar retail stores along with SMEs and suppliers of goods including farmers," said Mohan Gurnani, president, Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry and Trade (CAMIT). They also urged the BJP government -- which had strongly opposed Walmarts entry into India -- to frame an e-commerce policy (which is in the works) before allowing the deal.The unions were of the view that if the deal was allowed, two American retail giants -- Walmart and Amazon (which is present in India through a marketplace model) -- could create a ‘duopoly’ that would be too powerful to be regulated.Walmart India chief corporate affairs officer Rajneesh Kumar said the company is committed to India for the long term.New Delhi: Over 100 trade organisations on Monday opposed the $16-billion Walmart-Flipkart deal, stating that it would cause "irreversible damage" to small traders and endanger jobs for thousands.

The associations, including Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), released an open statement highlighting the deal’s "multifaceted dangers" to the economy, and called for its nullification. When contacted, Flipkart did not respond to the query.Last month, Walmart had announced the acquisition of 77 per cent stake in Flipkart for about $16 billion (Rs 1.05 lakh crore) -- marking the largest e-commerce deal so far in the country. Amitava Guha from CITU said Walmart has a long history of being anti-trade union and disregarding social security laws, and added that even if Walmart and Amazon employ a few thousand more, they are unlikely to neutralise the massive unemployment loss associated with the collapse of the smaller retailers in the country.

The bodies also argued saw chains that allowing the deal to go through would create an American duopoly (Walmart and Amazon) in the Indian retail sector and also lead to control of consumer data by these multi-national corporations (MNCs).Earlier, bodies like Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and All India Online Vendors Association (AIOVA) moved the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against the deal."We have been running Cash and Carry business in India for almost a decade now and helping small kiranas succeed and become modern. We are sourcing locally with more than 95 per cent merchandise coming from within the country," Kumar said.Members of the panel alleged that e-commerce firms seek to own and control key data of consumers and warned against misuse of such data in todays digitally empowered society."Walmart is well-known for its global supply chain, especially of cheap goods from China, which will hurt local manufacturers and suppliers. In India, 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) is allowed in e-commerce for marketplaces.He countered allegations that the deal would lead to job losses, saying the transaction will in fact lead to creation of lakhs of new jobs and help thousands of local suppliers and manufacturers access the consumers through Flipkart’s marketplace model, where the government has allowed 100 per cent FDI.

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In the wake of environment minister Ramdas Kadam announcement of a statewide plastic ban, the president of All India Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA), Hiten Bheda, said that such a move would affect the common man, and paper bags are ‘more harmful to the environment’. It is extremely difficult to pack eatables in paper bags. Nevertheless, the government has gone ahead with the move, prompting the association to call a meeting to decide the future course of action next week, said Mr Bheda. AIPMA has already brought up its differences with the government.. We have to offer a cheaper alternative.""

The ban in Karnataka and other places could not be implemented because there were genuine issues. In the first phase Thermocol, plastic plates, glasses, spoons and bags have been banned. Explaining the views of the AIPMA, Mr Bheda said, "A ban would affect the poor and middle class because chainsaw chain bulk plastic is cheap and very useful. We are ready to cooperate but everybody should contribute," Mr Bheda said. Violators will be imposed with fines ranging from Rs 5,000 to five lakh and/ or imprisonment of up to three months. Stating that the ban  would lead to corruption because a provision of three months’ imprisonment has been made along with a hefty fine, Mr Bheda told The Asian Age, "Plastic manufacturers are ready to cooperate with the government to curb pollution, but we have to find out practical ways and solutions. We can’t simply copy the US’ system."The plastic ban will be imposed across the state from Gudi Padwa (Sunday). What will hoteliers, coconut water or juice centre vendors and shop owners use to parcel food items? The paper industry also causes pollution and more trees will be cut if the use of paper increases.

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