West Bengal yet to take call on allowing standalone, neighbourhood shops to open

The West Bengal government on Saturday said it is yet to take a call on allowing neighbourhood and standalone shops to open, in accordance with a directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

A senior state government official said the MHA order is being studied and a final call in this regard will be taken soon.

"We are looking into it. A decision is yet to be taken on it," he told PTI.

The Union government has said neighbourhood and standalone shops, including those selling garments, mobile phones, hardware and stationery items, have been allowed to open but those located in marketplaces, malls and COVID-19 hotspots and containment zones will continue to remain shut till May 3.

In rural areas, all shops, except those in single and multi-brand shopping malls, are allowed to open.

The shops will function with 50 per cent workforce and strictly adhere to precautions, which include social distancing and wearing of masks.

However, a home ministry official said the final decision on whether to allow the additional shops to open will be taken by the state governments and Union Territory administrations, depending on their respective COVID-19 situation.

The West Bengal government had earlier decided to provide conditional and partial relaxation to some sectors, in line with the Centre's directive of selective relaxation in non-containment areas from April 20.

The Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation has allowed 25 per cent workforce in tea gardens with a rotational system in place. It had also said sweet shops can remain open daily from 8 am to 4 pm. Flower markets across the state are allowed to open as well.

However, no relaxation has been provided in the COVID-19 containment zones.