The Retailers’ Association of India has welcomed the Telangana government move to permit all shops and establishments in the state to remain open on all days of the year.

The State Labour Department through a Government order last week extended the permission to run various shops and establishments without weekly closure for a further period of three years.

“The exemption from weekly closure will not only be beneficial for retailers to achieve their true potential, but will also offer consumers the luxury of 365 days of shopping,” said Kumar Rajagopalan, Chief Executive Officer of the Retailers’ Association of India (RAI), in a statement.

“In addition, this decision will help the state economy by creating more employment in the sector,” he said.

The earlier move was appreciated by the retail industry as it helped the industry provide uninterrupted service to consumers and also contributed to the increase in employment opportunities in the state.

The state had, in 2015, issued orders permitting all shops and establishments to stay open on all 365 days of the year.

Alongside, it notified some necessary guidelines wherein it was suggested that the working hours of employees shall be eight hours per day and 48 hours in a week. It suggested that a record of overtime had to be maintained separately in the wages register in respect of employees who had worked beyond normal times.

And transport arrangements are to be made for women employees who are required to work beyond 8.30 pm. It also ordered that a notice should be exhibited at the main entrance of the shops, indicating availability of transport.

The order also makes it mandatory to provide appointment letters and a copy of the same is to be furnished to the jurisdiction inspector and various EPF and ESI deductions should be extended to eligible employees.

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