KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Monday said sweet shops can remain open for a duration of four hours during the lockdown period, days after the apex body of sweetmeat outlets flagged concerns over wastage of milk and jobless staff.
"Sweetmeat shops/mithai shops may remain open during the (lockdown) period from 12 noon to 4 pm each day with the minimum number of staff only for take away and packed items," a government order said.
However, a number of sweet shop owner said though they welcomed the spirit of the order, the allotted time needs a relook as a business is likely to be sparse in that time span.
"We would request the administration to change the proposed timings to open the sweet shops for four hours during the first half, when people visit the markets and grocery shops," Poschimbango Mistanno Byabsayee Somity office-bearer Dhiman Das told PTI.
Das, who is also the owner of a popular sweet shop chain in the city, said his outlets will remain closed during the government-prescribed time from Tuesday.
Most well-known sweet makers also said they are in two minds about opening their shops at noon.
The ubiquitous 'rosogolla', 'sondesh', 'misti doi' have been off the platters of the sweet-toothed Bengalis during the unprecedented lockdown over the coronavirus threat.
Banks in West Bengal to function normally, relaxation in timings withdrawn
The State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) in West Bengal on Monday decided that banks will function from 10 am to 4 pm, withdrawing its earlier advisory of limiting the transaction hours till 2 pm in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, an official said.
The decision of the SLBC will be implemented with immediate effect, he said.
"There will be no relaxation in banking hours. The previous advisory regarding limited functioning from 10 am to 2 pm hereby stands withdrawn," UBI's General Manager and West Bengal SLBC Convener Mukti Ranjan Ray said in a statement.
All the bank branches, irrespective of locations, will now function in all the working days.
According to SLBC, the decision has been taken in view of the ensuing closing of the financial year and urgency of monthly salary and pension payments.
It has also been decided that ATMs will remain open and banking correspondents and customer service points should adequately be equipped to transact cash to cover their target groups, a SLBC statement said.
SLBC convenor has also advised banks to ensure timely credit of direct benefit transfers to the accounts of the beneficiaries of welfare schemes, and also allow withdrawals.
Prescribed social distancing norms and proper sanitisation should also be taken care of, the committee said.