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Pune: Following the state government’s order to ease lockdown restrictions, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday issued “Break the chain” orders for the city offering relaxations to non-essential shops in Pune. The latest order will come into force from Tuesday morning and will be in effect till June 10.
As the number of Covid cases has fallen in the city and the positivity rate has gone below 10% which made the city eligible for ease in restrictions, PMC allowed standalone non-essential shops to operate between 7am and 2pm between Monday and Friday.
The earlier order allowed only essential services shops to stay open from 7 am to 11am. The order has also allowed liquor shops to reopen till 2 pm on weekdays while delivery of products through e-commerce which was stopped for a brief time in the earlier order has also been permitted.
The new order by PMC has also extended timings for essential shops, including vegetables, grocery, dairy products and non-veg products from 7am to 2pm for seven days of the week.
Besides, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations have also issued separate order offering relaxation for standalone non-essential shops between 7am and 2pm from Monday to Tuesday while extending timings for essential stores till 2pm from earlier 11am.
The fresh order giving relaxations to non-essential shops has been a major respite for traders, who were insisting for easing of curbs.
However, shops in malls and shopping centres will remain closed as per earlier orders while restaurants and bars will be allowed to provide only home delivery and parcel services without dine-in facility.
The new order has also allowed private traffic movement till 3 pm post that traffic in only emergency cases and for airport and railway station with valid reasons will be allowed.
“A complete curfew would be imposed after 3 pm and the earlier orders would be in place for those providing home services. The PMC order would be in place for the next ten days starting from June 1 7am and, following the review of the positivity rate at the time, a revised order would be put in place,” stated the order signed by civic chief Vikram Kumar.
Pune mayor Murlidhar Mohol while addressing the media said, “In view of the drop in Covid cases in the city, the state empowered the local civic bodies and administrators to issue orders to ease restrictions where the positivity rate is below 10%. Accordingly, PMC has issued the order.”
As per the order, banks will continue to function on all days while government offices, except those providing essential services and those working for Covid management, will function with 25% staff. Home delivery of essential and non-essential products would be allowed through e-commerce platforms. Shops selling agriculture related products and agriculture product market committee would function all days of the week from 7 am to 2 pm.
Federation of Trade Association Pune (FTAP) has welcomed the decision of PMC to allow reopening of non-essential shops.
“We assure Pune Municipal Corporation that all shop owners will follow Covid regulation norms while keeping shop open from 7am to 2pm,” said Mahendra Pitaliya, secretary, FTAP.
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