Mall around 24X7

Manika Ahuja

Are you yearning to spend some much-needed quality time with your family at shopping malls, but your busy office schedule and copious business assignments are not allowing you to? Now, there is a piece of good news for the people who work in shifts – the Union Cabinet has approved the Model Shops and Establishment (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Services) Bill, 2016. 

The new model law that got concurrence from the Union cabinet would allow shops, malls and cinema halls, among other establishments, to run 24x7 throughout the year. This means you will soon have a chance to shop and go to the movies at your favourite malls round-the-clock! 

According to the Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, the main aim of the Bill which also provides for women to be employed on night shifts with adequate security, “is to increase employment generation.” 

The Centre’s decision to encourage round-the-clock business hours has enthused a large section of Tricity denizens, who believe that it is important for cities to have activity without any restriction based on the clock.

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Winning streak

More than anything else, the Model Shops and Establishments Bill 2016 would bring about a tremendous change in India’s economic status. Its final passage would provide employment with flexibility of time. It also gives us the liberty to work according to our life conditions. It’s a win-win situation in the context of both employer and employee. 

— Divyani Gandhi, model

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Welcome move

The implementation of the Bill would help women. It is as good opportunity for them to earn more. 

— Darpan Goyal, CEO, WebRoot Technologies

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Wasting manpower 

Allowing malls to run 24x7 would just be a waste of manpower and energy. In the era of energy consumption, I think we should rather seek energy conservation methods rather than draining out everything we have. Also, the suggestion of employing women on night shifts with “adequate security” seems to be a mockery. 

— Kangan Pawar Dixit, teacher 

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Women power

We often talk about women empowerment and the passage of the Bill in question will be a great step in this direction. It makes no sense to prohibit women from working during late hours. Everyone has the fundamental right of equality. 

— Manish Sharma, advocate

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Economic boost

I support the move. Those who work in shifts will have no reason to worry about the closing time of malls. More employment generation will give the economy a major boost. 

— Manisha Yadav, Defence forces aspirant