Centre allows certain shops to open from today: Here’s a list of which shops would re-open

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the latest order on Friday night stating that the government would allow certain shops that provide non-essential goods and services to re-open from Saturday, April 25 onwards. The registered neighbourhood and standalone shops are allowed to be open amid the nationwide lockdown restriction.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs shared a tweet on Friday night announcing the government’s decision to permit certain shops to function amid lockdown. “#COVID-19 update: All registered shops regd under Shops & Establishment Act of respective States/UT, including shops in residential complexes, neighbourhood & standalone shops are exempted from #lockdown restrictions. Prohibited: Shops in single & multibrand malls,” the tweet read.

The shops selling non-essential goods and services from Saturday would be subjected to the conditions that they will run with 50 per cent strength of workers, wearing masks, and following social distancing.

Here is a list of the shops which would be open from April 25:

1. All shops registered under the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State/Union Territory, including shops in residential complexes and market complexes, outside the municipal corporations and municipalities, will be allowed to open.

2. Neighbourhood shops, standalone shops, and shops in residential complexes, within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, will be allowed to open.

3. Shops located in registered markets located outside the municipal corporations and municipalities can open only with 50 per cent staff and following the drill of social distancing and wearing masks.

4. The local salons and parlours will be allowed to operate from Saturday.

5. In rural and semi-rural areas, all the markets have been allowed to open.

6. In urban areas, non-essential goods and services will be allowed to operate provided they are in residential areas or is a standalone shop.

7. In rural areas, non-essentials services can be sold in all kinds of shops.

8. Market complexes, except those within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, are allowed to open.

9. All small shops in the neighbourhood will be allowed to open amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Here is a list of shops which would remain closed:

1. Shops in multi-brand and single-brand malls outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities will not open.

2. Shops in market complexes, multi-brand and single-brand malls within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities will not open from Saturday.

3. Cinema halls, malls, shopping complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls will remain shut.

4. Big shops/brands/market places will remain shut.

5. In urban [municipal] areas, market complex like Nehru Place, Lajpat Nagar etc. will not open.

Restrictions that apply to shops that could open amid lockdown:

1. In all the shops, within and outside the limits of municipalities and municipal corporations, that are allowed to open from Saturday, will mandatorily have 50 per cent strength of workers.

2. All the workers must be wearing masks.

3. All the workers in the shops that are allowed to open from Saturday amid coronavirus lockdown must be observing social distancing.

The MHA relaxations don’t apply to hotspots and containment zones. MHA has also clarified that liquor shops comes under a separate clause and not under the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State/Union Territory. Liquor shops will remain closed.

The Centre’s decision comes as relief on the eve of the holy month of Ramzan.

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