Neighbourhood shops may reopen in Karnataka from Monday

Anil Gejji | TNN | Apr 26, 2020, 06:50 IST

Residents in Bengaluru’s Hongasandra, a containment zone, were allowed to come onto roads to buy essential items on Saturday

Residents in Bengaluru’s Hongasandra, a containment zone, were allowed to come onto roads to buy essential ite...Read More

BENGALURU: Taking cue from the Centre, the BSY government is likely to allow neighbourhood standalone shops providing non-essential goods to reopen from Monday across the state, barring hotspots and containment zones.

“The government will issue an order in this regard on Sunday or Monday,” chief secretary TM Vijaya Bhaskar told TOI on Saturday. CM BS Yediyurappa and the state’s and Covid-19 taskforce will discuss the matter on Sunday.
Late Friday, the Centre issued guidelines allowing opening of shops in residential and market complexes outside municipal limits and all neighbourhood standalone shops. Shops within residential complexes were also allowed within municipal limits, excluding containment zones. The shops will have to function with 50% staff, wearing masks and gloves. These include garment shops, stationeries, mobile phone outlets and hardware stores. The Centre, however, said barber shops , liquor outlets and restaurants would remain closed till May 3.
Congress: Ensure complete lockdown
he move comes a day after Tthe state government allowed labourers to move within the state and permitted some industries to open in safe districts. Congress warned against opening up too much too soon when cases were being added daily. “At a time when Covid-19 cases are on the rise, easing lockdown is like inviting danger. The government must withdraw its decision and ensure complete lockdown till May 3,” former minister HK Patil wrote to the CM.
The state opposition advised caution and said Karnataka could not make economic progress on its own in a pandemic. “How will the economy of the state or country improve when many countries around the world are still in lockdown?” Patil said.
“Covid cases are increasing since the government announced relaxation on April
22. The government is patting its back for fewer cases but that is because tests are conducted only on 30,000 people out of 3 lakh people quarantined across the state,” the senior Congress leader added.
Karnataka has announced some relaxations, mainly to revive economic activity and alongside, alleviate labour shortage. Following the government’s decision to deploy KSRTC buses to ferry labourers, many from North Karnataka, who were stranded in makeshift camps, embarked on their journey home. Some headed back to work as factories have begun operating in 11 safe districts.