6 months on, 80 shopkeepers opt to operate 24x7 in city

Nearly 80 registered shops and commercial establishments have opted to operate 24×7 here in the past six months. These shops, primarily in the grocery and food business, are being run by over 12 multinational companies.

The city has more than 100 markets. The authorities claim they receive nearly three applications every month.

In a move aimed at enhancing the ease of doing business for shopkeepers and traders, the Labour Department issued a notification in June last year allowing shops and commercial establishments registered under the Punjab Shops & Commercial Establishments Act 1958 to operate 24×7 throughout the year without requiring specific permission from the department. Only the shops and commercial establishments registered with the department can avail of this facility. Traders have to submit a self-undertaking on the online portal (labour.chd.gov.in).

A list of these shops has to be shared with the area SHOs to ensure the safety of staff and customers, and with the Municipal Corporation, which will make sure cleanliness is maintained during the extended hours.

Of nearly 40,000 shops and commercial establishments in the city, 13,900 are registered with the department.

Charanjiv Singh, president, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said it was financially unviable for traders to open their shops 24x7, as they would hardly get a good number of customers at night. Also, they would have to hire extra staff and their costs would also increase. The facility was suitable for multinational firms dealing in groceries at petrol pumps or running eating joints in areas with a high footfall, he added.