Standalone Shops Including Automobile Showrooms, Retailers Can Reopen in Tamil Nadu, Says Govt

The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday specifically named the kind of standalone outlets that could resume work from Monday and made it clear that only small and non-air conditioned jewellery and textile showrooms located in rural areas will be permitted to open.

The government, a day after announcing easing curbs further in non-containment zones with conditions like social distancing effective May 11, listed 34 kinds of businesses that are allowed to operate.

Motorcycles/two-wheeler and car sales and service showrooms, firms dealing in automobile spare parts are allowed to open.

Stores selling tiles, construction materials, cement, sanitary ware, household appliances and optical shops can operate.

"Small jewellery stores and textile shops without air conditioning and located in rural areas only will be allowed," an official release said.

Retail outlets engaged in sales and service of a range of consumer items like electrical goods, mobile phones, motor, mixie, grinder and television can operate.

Dry cleaners, lorry booking service firms, photocopying shops, courier service companies, plywood shops, saw mills, paint stores were among the other firms allowed to function.

Tea shops, bakeries and restaurants will be permitted to offer only take away services.

Groceries and vegetable shops that were allowed to operate through the lockdown since March 24 can continue to work as usual.

On Saturday, the State government allowed private sector firms to resume work with 33 per cent work force.

The government also extended the timings for groceries and vegetable shops from the present 5 pm till 7 pm, effective Monday, throughout Tamil Nadu.

These outlets can start work from 6 am as usual.

As regards standalone and neighbourhood shops in Chennai, they can function from 10.30 am till 6 pm as against the present cut off time of 5 pm.

On May 4, after being shut for 40 days, standalone outlets dealing in trades like building material and computers resumed business in non-containment zones across Tamil Nadu following relaxation of curbs.