Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) on Tuesday hailed the government's decision to extend lockdown but said malls should be allowed to operate after April 20 in those areas where coronavirus has been contained.
SCAI said in a statement that the government should intervene to support the industry and protect 12 million livelihoods that could be at risk as the fate of organised retail remains uncertain.
The association said the central government should consider the "inclusion of shopping centres in a graded manner as part of the first list of essentials that will be permitted to open in the period after April 20".
"We are hopeful that the decentralized strategy to exit the lockdown will see firm guidelines towards reopening of shopping centres beginning with the hotspot free zones or areas where the pandemic has been contained so that the fate of these livelihoods can be protected," Amitabh Taneja, Chairman, SCAI said.
"We have made elaborate arrangements to ensure that every shopping centre across the country is the safest place for everyone," he added.
SCAI said it has helped shopping centres across the country to institutionalise standard operating procedures (SOPs) to fight COVID-19.
These included controlled entry and exit; screening of all visitors / staff with contactless infrared guns; making masks mandatory for customers and employees; limits on numbers of customer; Social distancing and queuing of customers inside stores / food court.