Opening of shops with amendments of clause

Mithran Suresh

The home ministry on Friday permitted all shops in residential and market complexes outside municipal limits and all neighbourhood, standalone shops as well as shops in residential complexes within municipal limits of non-containment zones to open during the lockdown. This concession has not been extended to single and multi-brand malls outside municipal limits and single-brand and multi-brand malls as well as market complexes within municipal limits. However, the home ministry is likely to issue a clarification on its order regarding opening of shops, the government sources told TOI on Saturday.

The opening of shops, as per an order put out by the home ministry in modification of the April 15 guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, would be subject to the conditions that these shops will operate with 50% staff strength of workers and wearing of face masks and adherence to social distancing norms will be mandatory. Amending then sub-clause 1(x) of MHA guidelines, which bars shopping complexes from opening during lockdown, the home ministry said the term “shopping complexes’ is replaced with “market complexes” within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities.

Times of India