Delhi govt gives nod to 83 more establishments to operate 24x7

After CM’s approval, the proposal will now be sent to lieutenant governor VK Saxena for further action

The Delhi government on Sunday said it has approved 83 more commercial establishments like shops, and restaurants, among others, to operate 24x7. The government said in an official statement that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has approved the proposal from the labour department. After the CM’s approval, the proposal will now be sent to lieutenant governor VK Saxena for further action.

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The move is aimed at boosting the nighttime economy in the Capital, the officials said.

“The government will also monitor these shops to ensure compliance with the regulations and take action against any violations. The operation of these commercial establishments for 24 hours will not only boost the economy but also create new job opportunities for the youth,” the chief minister’s office said.

The shops and establishments in the Capital can legally operate 24x7 only when they are allowed exemptions under sections 14, 15 and 16 of the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act, 1954. These three sections collectively put restrictions on hiring night-shift employees, and impose related rules on opening and closing time and holidays for commercial establishments. Exemptions under sections 14, 15 and 16 of the Act enable commercial establishments to operate 24X7, subject to certain conditions that entail welfare of labour and security.

“As many as 122 individuals expressed their interest in operating shops for 24 hours with the labour department. The department found deficiencies in 29 application forms. No consideration was given to these applications. However, all necessary documents were found correct for the 83 application forms,” the government said.

“The file on 24x7 operations of these shops and establishments will be sent to the LG for a decision on whether he would like to agree with it or express a difference of opinion,” said a Delhi government official. No response was available from the LG office on the development.

Saxena had in October last year approved the largest group of 314 applications for 24x7 operation and had directed the departments to speed up the process. He flagged that some of the 314 applications were pending since 2016. Between April and June, the LG approved 24x7 operation of 210 shops and establishments.

The government has said that over the last few years, it approved the operation of 635 shops and commercial establishments. “Earlier, in August, the government granted permission to 29 shops and commercial establishments, increasing their number to 552. Now, with the permission granted to an additional 83 shops, the total has reached 635. In contrast, from 1954 to 2022, within nearly 68 years, only 269 shops and establishments were permitted to operate 24 hours,” an official added.

The 83 establishments include shops in Dwarka, Netaji Subhash Place, Karol Bagh, Sarita Vihar, Kamla Nagar, Dwarka, and GK I. Similarly, at Defence Colony and IGI Airport, individual restaurants will operate 24 hours.