Ministry Of Home Affairs Clarified The Confusion to avoid chaos On The Order Allowing The Opening Of shops

During a nationwide lockdown to prevent the outbreak of Coronavirus, the Home Ministry on Friday allowed some shops to open.

Statement by Ministry of Home Affairs

However, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs has given clarification amid growing confusion among people about the opening of shops. The Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that shops that are selling goods can open, but services that are providing, such as salons, beauty treatments, spas are not allowed to open. According to the new order of the Ministry of Home Affairs, no restaurant is allowed to open.

The Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that the order issued on Friday meant that in rural areas, all shops were allowed to open. However, shops located in shopping malls are not included. In urban areas, all single shops, neighbourhood shops, and shops located in residential complexes are allowed to open. However, shops located in markets/market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open.

The ministry said that it is clarified that e-commerce companies are allowed to sell only essential commodities. It is also clarified that the sale of liquor is prohibited as well as the sale of other items specified in the National Instructions on Management of COVID-19. The above shops are not allowed to open in any of the areas, whether rural or urban, as specified in the consolidated revised guidelines, which are declared as control zones by the respective States / Union Territories.

The lockdown will run till May 3. Many states have also decided to increase it. However, during the lockdown, only shops with essential goods were allowed to open. This includes ration, vegetable, and fruit shops. Now, with permission to open all the necessary and unnecessary shops, it is expected that the business will be back on track once again. Businesses have lost crores of rupees due to the shutdown due to continued lockdown for one month.