The government on Friday allowed opening of shops as part ofthe easing of lockdown restrictions announced on April 15 with neighbourhoodshops and others being allowed within the city and all shops except those inmalls allowed outside the municipal limits with 50 per cent strength ofworkers.
No shops have been allowed to open in multi-brand or singlebrand malls.
On April 15, the government had notified the industries andcommercial establishments which can open in certain zones where there are no orless coronavirus cases.
These relaxations are given by the state governmentsdepending on the situation in a particular area.
In a modification of the earlier order, the Ministry of HomeAffairs has replaced the term “shopping complexes” with “marketcomplexes” within the limits of municipal corporations and”municipalities”.
Shops have been allowed outside the city limits except thosein malls with 50 per cent workforce while wearing of masks has been madecompulsory.
Among the inclusions are shops registered under the Shops andEstablishment Act of the respective states and UTs, including shops inresidential complexes and market complexes, except shops in multi-brand andsingle brand malls.
These have been allowed outside the limits of municipalcorporations and municipalities, with 50 per cent strength of workers, makingwearing of masks and social distancing mandatory.
The other inclusion is the smaller shops in theneighbourhood areas and residential areas which are now allowed to operatewithin the city.
It includes all shops including neighbourhood shops andstandalone shops, shops in residential complexes, within the limits ofmunicipal corporations, registered under the Shops and Establishment Act,except shops in market complexes and multi-brand and single brand malls, with50 per cent strength of workers. As mentioned, wearing of masks and maintainingsocial distancing norms are mandatory.
This order has been sent to the Chief Secretaries of thestates and administrators of the Union Territories and is in continuation ofthe guidelines for the enforcement of lockdown.
This order carries out amendments in the order issued onApril 15, which detailed which industries and commercial establishments canopen with safeguards.
One reason could be that if the industries open, the retailend of the supply chain has to be available for consumption purposes. It willalso aid gradual pickup in the economic activities.