NEW DELHI: Shopkeepers in malls may get some clarity regarding the lifting of restrictions on commercial complexes, with the government likely to take a decision on the matter soon after consultation with the health ministry, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.
Goyal was interacting with traders and retailers over video-conferencing when he made the statement, after industry representatives had voiced their many problems and challenges due to the lockdown.“The decision to open shops in malls will be taken soon, after taking into account the guidelines of the health ministry,” the commerce and industry ministry said. He added that a majority of shops have been allowed to open, without any distinction between essential and non-essential categories.
However, malls, multiplexes and restaurants have remained closed for over two months now, following the imposition of a nation-wide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an effort to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Retailers with shops in malls have also felt more threatened after the government allowed e-commerce companies to operate. Industry representatives say that brick-and-mortar retailers have to pay rents even as their businesses have been completely halted during the lockdown.