ON CM’s DIRECTIVES, ACS HOME ISSUES DETAILED GUIDELINES FOR OPENING OF SHOPS
SHOPS TO BE OPENED IN STAGGERED WAY ON ROTATION BETWEEN 7 AM AND 11 AM ONLY ACROSS THE STATE
NEWS PUNJAB
CHANDIGARH, APRIL 29: On the directives of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the State Home Department has issued detailed guidelines to allow opening of shops in a staggered way on rotation, maintaining uniform timings from 7 am to 11 am only.
Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson said that the issue of opening of shops has been considered in detail and it was decided that all the districts should allow opening of shops as per the guidelines of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, but they should do so in a staggered way on rotation, maintaining uniform timings from 7 am to 11 am only.
The Spokesperson further pointed out that during the period of opening of shops, common man would be allowed to go out to procure commodities strictly adhering to complete COVID prevention measures such as social distancing, use of sanitisers and masks etc. and thereafter, not only curfew should be enforced strictly, no one should be allowed to open shops or move around without prior permission of the Competent Authority.
The Spokesperson also stated that in line with the 4th corrigendum of MHA issued on April 24, the State Home Department has issued detailed guidelines clarifying that the word ‘shopping complexes’ is replaced with ‘market complexes’ within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities meaning thereby that activities in market complexes would continue to remain prohibited till May 3, 2020.
In rural areas, all shops registered under the Shops & Establishment Act except those in multi-brand and single-brand malls are allowed to open with 50% strength of workers. Similarly, in urban areas, all stand-alone shops, neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. The Shops in markets, market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open.
The corrigendum further stipulated that shops which have been allowed to open are those shops which deal in goods and establishments dealing in services like saloons, barber shops etc. would continue to remain closed.e-Commerce companies will continue to be permitted for essential goods only and the sale of liquor continues to be prohibited. The Spokesperson further stated that the aforesaid corrigendum of MHA applies to shops other than those shops/establishments dealing with essential commodities, which are regulated under Clause 13 without any restrictions.
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