The Maharashtra government on Tuesday clarified that all shops it has allowed to remain open, without distinction of those supplying essential or non-essential goods, will function to their full operational timing and days to avoid crowding.
It said that no restrictions like timing/day will be imposed on them by any authority except by the municipal commissioners of corporations in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Pune Metropolitan Region and Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik and by district collectors in the rest of the state.
The government said it is very necessary to ensure smooth and seamless availability of supplies during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.
It said regulating markets and shops with various restrictions such as specific days, timings, entry points, among others, was proving to be counter-productive. The government noted such restrictions are seen to be attracting crowds due to uncertainty.
The government also said only the municipal commissioners or district collectors can change the perimeter/boundary of the coronavirus containment area they had determined.
In a statement issued later, the government said that at some places local officers insisted that shops be kept open only on certain days and time slots.
Customers got confused and this led to crowding at these shops and hence the clarification, the statement said.
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