24X7 shops on mind, UT asks traders

Ramkrishan Upadhyay 

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, October 14 

If the initiative of the UT Administration gets overwhelming response, then you can get grocery items in the middle of the night at the shop near your home. The administration has sought the views of traders on the proposal to allow shops to remain open round the clock. Sources said Deputy Commissioner Sachin Rana recently held a meeting with the traders and sought their views on the issue. 

At presently, under the Shops and Establishment Act, the shops are allowed to open till 8 pm. The administration has already allowed the shops at petrol stations to open 24X7. 

Sources said a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of Adviser to the Administrator Parimal Rai was also held recently in which the issue was discussed in detail. The sources said while a majority of officers agreed to the proposal, the police officials raised the security concern. The Adviser then directed all departments concerned to seek the views of the stakeholders. 

Charanjiv Singh, Chairman of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said they would hold a joint meeting of all representatives of the markets. He said the issue involved many things, such as security and availability of workforce. 

The Centre has already approved the Model Shops and Establishments Bill, permitted shops, malls, restaurants, banks and cinema halls to choose their hours of operation. It was aimed at ensuring uniform working conditions across the country, improving ease of doing business and generating employment opportunities. 

Harish Garg, president, Confederation of All-India Traders here, said limiting the hours of operation for small shops put them at a disadvantage because commercial establishments in malls had the benefit of staying open on all days and for longer hours. He said it would also increase employment opportunities.