Shops in Maharashtra can remain open for two additional hours from July 9

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday provided further ease into the lockdown restrictions allowing the markets and shops to remain open till late evening for all seven days in a week. The shops were allowed to open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM earlier but the state government has increased the limit by two hours. 

Now, as per the official order, the markets and shops outside containment zones have been permitted to remain open till 7:00 PM from July 9. The decision has been taken under the fifth phase of ‘Mission Begin Again’ and with an aim to control the crowds in the markers amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

The order signed by Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar read that markets will be permitted to open on all seven days of the week while the shops will continue to function on the basis P1-P2 basis wherein shops on one side of the lane will remain open on odd days and those on the other side will remain open only on even days. 

The shops and markets will be allowed to operate keeping in mind the practice of social distancing and other protocols. In the case of crowding or failure of social distancing norms, the authorities are liable to close down such markets and shops. 

Earlier on June 5, the shops were allowed to operate in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola, Amravati and Nagpur under the unlocking exercise but with restrictions. 

“It is emphasised that market/shop owner associations will use these additional relaxations to help the administration achieve the objective of controlling/reducing crowding in the markets,” the order stated. 

Earlier, the Maharashtra government allowed hotels and other entities providing accommodation services in the state including guest houses and lodges to operate at 33 per cent capacity from July 8.  

The lockdown 6.0 was extended in Maharashtra till July 31 midnight in the wake of rising cases of the coronavirus, especially in areas under MMR. The state government, however, has provided ‘reasonable relaxations’ to kick start the economic activities. 

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