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Business News/ Industry / Retail/  CAIT seeks clarity on opening up of shops
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CAIT seeks clarity on opening up of shops

CAIT apprises the government of the difficulties being faced by traders on ground
  • The reopening of shops is subject to the area being neither a hotspot nor a containment zone
  • Photo: APPremium
    Photo: AP

    NEW DELHI : Traders body, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), on Sunday, sought clarity from the government following confusion over the government’s Friday order that paved way for opening up of standalone shops in neighborhood and residential complexes amid the covid-19 lockdown.

    In a letter written to the Home Secretary on Sunday, CAIT’s secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said the association has apprised the government of the difficulties being faced by traders on ground. The traders body has urged the government to issue a further clarification on what constitutes as "neighbourhood" and "standalone" shops so small businesses can resume business accordingly. It has also sought clarity on whether all kinds of neighborhood shops are allowed or whether some are restricted from operating.

    On Friday, the Union home ministry stated that shops in residential complexes are now allowed to re-open. The MHA stated that "all shops under Shops and Establishment Act of States and union territories, including shops in residential complexes and market complexes, except shops in multi-brand and single-brand malls, outside limits of Municipal Corporations," have now been exempted from the Centre's revised consolidated lockdown restrictions.

    The reopening of shops is subject to the area being neither a hotspot nor a containment zone, it said then. It also left it upon the state governments to implement these guidelines.

    However, by Saturday morning, the ministry’s orders left shop keepers and traders confused as many rushed to open their stores over a month in to the lockdown.

    The lack of clarity on what kind of shops are allowed to open, and in which pockets, led to local police officials even directing traders to shutter their shops.

    In a set of clarifications released on Saturday, the MHA said that while all shops in residential complexes would reopen, malls and liquor stores will remain shut. It also clarified that restaurants, salons, and barbers will remain shut.

    "In rural areas, all shops, except those in shopping malls are allowed to open. In urban areas, all standalone neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets and market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open," the ministry clarified on Saturday. Neighbourhood and standalone shops within the confines of the municipal corporation have been exempted.

    In its letter, CAIT has now called for more clarity saying that scores of traders are facing difficulty opening their shops. “Despite orders from the MHA, subsequent orders of different states including Delhi about opening of shops in different verticals, the traders falling in these categories are finding it difficult to open the shops because of further confusion about what constitute neighbourhood shops and standalone shops as there is no specified definition about both these kind of shops," CAIT said.

    The association that represents scores of traders also sought clarity on what accounts for a neighborhood shop. “There are several interpretations by the authorities and as such the shops allowed by the MHA order are yet to be open. There is as such no definition for neighbourhood shops which is a problematic matter," it added.

    CAIT has also sought clarification regarding necessary passes required by shopkeepers who can now open their shops following the government’s directive.

    “If the traders have to obtain passes, then an easy mechanism may be crafted to enable the traders to obtain passes and suitable instructions may be given to States to smoothen the process of passes," CAIT said.

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    Published: 26 Apr 2020, 06:52 PM IST
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