Tired of shops closing on your face just when you remembered your girlfriend’s birthday? Do late night hunger pangs bother you often? Too reluctant to shop among the crowded sales rush? Fret not, for now, you can shop and dine all night long according to Maharashtra Shops and Establishment Act, 2017.
“We issued a notification today and the Act comes into effect immediately. It will benefit around 34 lakh establishments across the state and they can operate seven days a week,” state Labour Minister Sambhaji Patil said in a statement to The Indian Express.
Who can operate 24*7?
The list of shops that can operate 24 hours a day includes– grocery stores, restaurants, theatres, hotels, amusement parks, medical stores, banks, stockbroking firms, tax consultants, accountancy firms, engineering firms, medical practices, architectural firms and professional consultants.
What are the exceptions?
The government has imposed restrictions on the timings of liquor shops and discotheques. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, while the liquor shops will be asked to shut down by 11:30 pm, pubs and bars will shut down by 1:30 am.
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What are the new guidelines?
At present, while the commercial establishments have to shut down by 9:30 pm, restaurants have to shut down by 12:30 am. The notification will allow these establishments to choose their business hours.
Establishments that opt to work 24 hours a day will have to ensure that their employees work for not more than 9 hours a day in three separate shifts. Employers will have to provide transportation for women working after 9:30 pm. As a part of the notification, the employees will be entitled to various facilities including– paid leaves, first aide, pay for overtime duties, canteen facilities and a creche.
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Under the new law, while establishments with less than 10 employees will have to inform the state government appointed facilitator with self-declaration within 60 days, establishments with a workforce of over 10 employees will have to apply for a licence online, The Indian Express added.
About the notification:
The notification– Maharashtra Shops and Establishment Act, 2017, was initiated in accordance with the Centre’s Model Shops and Establishment Act, 2016, and passed in both the houses of the state legislature in August. The Act was approved by the governor in September and it came into effect on Tuesday, December 19.
