Kolkata: The West Bengal authorities allowed stand-alone retailers, together with these promoting liquor, to function for 3 hours — 12 pm to three pm — from Tuesday.
On May 28, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had introduced the extension of the restriction until June 16. Curbs on retail had been enforced on May 16 to stem the spike in Covid circumstances throughout the state.
ALSO READ | Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank Hospitalised Due To Post COVID Complications
Only grocery shops and each day important markets have been allowed to function from 7 am to 10 am. With a decline within the variety of infections for the reason that restriction got here into impact, the state has now introduced some rest to retailers. Owners of off-shops at the moment are awaiting an Excise division order.
There are 350 bars (on-shops) other than over 1,500 off-shops and nation spirit retailers in Kolkata. The whole determine in Bengal might be over 7,000 taking collectively each bars and off-shops.
A couple of weeks again, house owners of liquor off-shops are urging the Excise division for timing in a single stretch with out interruption just like the jewelry commerce. Most of the liquor off-shops within the metropolis are dealing with a troublesome time for over every week following the clarification issued on May 1 by the Excise division following an order of state chief secretary proscribing hours for markets within the wake of Covid second wave.
Most liquor retailers have witnessed a significant decline ever since an order from the state chief secretary on May 1 restricted the hours for markets and shops promoting non-essential objects in a bid to curb the unfold of the novel coronavirus.
