In a bid to avoid rush in the markets during morning hours, the State government has permitted grocery shops and APMC markets to remain open from 6 a.m. till noon. Milk booths, HOPCOMS and vegetable cart vendors can sell from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sunday to the remainder of the lockdown.
Earlier guidelines did not allow any of these, barring milk parlours, to be open beyond 10 a.m.
Extending the timings would not only eliminate crowding, but also prevent selling of products at high prices, the guidelines said. However, an addendum to the guidelines issued by Revenue Department Principal Secretary N. Manjunatha Prasad banned weekly shandies/markets.
