Shops and establishments across Maharashtra will remain open up to 10 pm with immediate effect, against the existing deadline of 8.30 pm.
“We had amended the Bombay Shops and Establishment Act to extend the deadline from 8.30 pm to 10 pm. President Pranab Mukherjee has granted his assent to our proposal, so all shops will remain open up to 10 pm with immediate effect. We have already issued a notification,” labour minister Hasan Mushrif said. There are 18.5 lakh shops and establishments in Mumbai alone and 19 lakh in the rest of the state.
The state government had introduced a bill to amend the Act on October 20, 2011, to extend the closing time from 8.30 pm to 10 pm. The proposal was later approved by both houses of the state legislature and submitted to the President for his assent. “The president approved the proposal a week ago,” Mushrif said.
He said the deadline for closing shops and establishments at 8.30 pm was fixed way back in 1948. In the light of the changed socio-economic scenario, it was felt that the deadline should be extended up to 10 pm. Mushrif said especially in a city like Mumbai, where people usually don’t reach home before 9 pm, it was difficult to buy even routine items. “We feel the new deadline will certainly help people in both rural and urban areas,” he said.
The order doesn’t affect eating houses. Restaurants which serve only food now close around 11 pm whereas bars and permit rooms shut at 1.30 am. Bars in five-star restaurants remain open till 3 am
“We had amended the Bombay Shops and Establishment Act to extend the deadline from 8.30 pm to 10 pm. President Pranab Mukherjee has granted his assent to our proposal, so all shops will remain open up to 10 pm with immediate effect. We have already issued a notification,” labour minister Hasan Mushrif said. There are 18.5 lakh shops and establishments in Mumbai alone and 19 lakh in the rest of the state.
The state government had introduced a bill to amend the Act on October 20, 2011, to extend the closing time from 8.30 pm to 10 pm. The proposal was later approved by both houses of the state legislature and submitted to the President for his assent. “The president approved the proposal a week ago,” Mushrif said.
He said the deadline for closing shops and establishments at 8.30 pm was fixed way back in 1948. In the light of the changed socio-economic scenario, it was felt that the deadline should be extended up to 10 pm. Mushrif said especially in a city like Mumbai, where people usually don’t reach home before 9 pm, it was difficult to buy even routine items. “We feel the new deadline will certainly help people in both rural and urban areas,” he said.
The order doesn’t affect eating houses. Restaurants which serve only food now close around 11 pm whereas bars and permit rooms shut at 1.30 am. Bars in five-star restaurants remain open till 3 am
No comments:
Post a Comment