The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri VK Saxena, has approved the operation of 55 more e-commerce and retail outlets round-the-clock in the national capital. This comes after he gave a nod to over 300 establishments to operate 24×7 a few months ago. The proposal was made by the Labour Department and endorsed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to exempt these establishments from Sections 14, 15 and 16 of the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954. The outlets include e-commerce, retail garments, and accessories outlets situated at various locations in Delhi.
The LG took grave exception to the delays ranging up to seven years in disposing of applications for exemption by the Labour Department. He noted that the basic purpose of according exemptions under Section 14, 15 and 16 of the Delhi Shops & Establishment Act, 1954 is to enable various establishments to carry on with their businesses on a 24×7 basis. The round-the-clock functioning of these establishments will facilitate employment generation and promote a positive business environment for future investment in the national capital.
Saxena flagged the “unprofessional attitude and lack of due diligence” on the part of the Labour Department on the subject matter and underlined that some pick-and-choose policy has been adopted by the department in processing such applications, which could be indicative of corrupt practices. He noted that the inordinate delay in processing such routine applications also negatively affects the confidence/sentiments of the business community at large.
To ensure transparent and effective monitoring, an online system has been developed for the receipt of applications for exemption under sections 14, 15 and 16 of the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act, 1954. The applications are only accepted through online mode. The LG has also directed the department to dispose of such applications within a prescribed timeline so that a conducive and investor-friendly business environment, promoting economic growth, can be created, and positive confidence can be instilled in the business community at large.
