: CAIT seeks clarification on govt's order to open shops #FinanceIndia #StockMarketNEWS CAIT seeks clarification on govt's order to open shops New Delhi, Apr 27 (KNN) Confederation of All India Traders

@StockMarketNEWS Wed 29 Apr, 2020

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CAIT seeks clarification on govt's order to open shops #FinanceIndia #StockMarketNEWS
CAIT seeks clarification on govt's order to open shops New Delhi, Apr 27 (KNN) Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has sought clarity from the government following confusion over the government’s Friday order where it allowed to open standalone shops in neighbourhood and residential complexes amid the covid-19 lockdown.

In a letter written to the Home Secretary on Sunday, CAIT’s Secretary ageneral Praveen Khandelwal said the traders body has apprised Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla of the difficulties faced by the traders on ground and urging him to issue a further clarification about neighbourhood shops and standalone shops.

It has also urged to clarify as to shops of all kinds falling in these verticals are allowed or is there any restrictions on some kind of shops.

Despite of the order of the Union Government and subsequent orders of State Governments including Delhi, still there is a confusion regarding what constitute the “neighbourhood shops". and "standalone shops". There are several interpretations by the Authorities and as such the shops allowed by the MHA order are yet to be open. There is as such no definition for "neighbourhood shops" which is a problematic matter, CAIT added.

On Friday, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued order allowing opening of all shops in rural areas except shops in shopping mall, all shops in residential complexes, neighbourhood shops and standalone shops in urban areas and e commerce is allowed for essential commodities only.

Citing Delhi as an example, The CAIT said that in case of Delhi, the shops mentioned in MHA order has been allowed by the government of NCT of Delhi to open but in absence of clarity on " neighbourhood shops" the benefit could not be accrued by the traders and people in general. Further, it has been noticed that there is lack of consensus among the administration and law enforcing agency with the result that traders are not allowed to open the shops in question.

The CAIT has also asked a clarification regarding necessity of passes for the shopkeepers who are dealing in the shops categorised by MHA.

If the traders have to obtain passes, then an easy mechanism may be crafted to enable the traders to obtain passes and suitable instructions may be given to states to smoothen the process of passes, it said.