Shops selling agriculture-relatedgoods, building materials and automobile parts among other things opened on Saturday in many districts of Chhattisgarh except those located in COVID-19 containment zones and inside shopping complexes, officials said.The Union government on Friday had said that neighbourhood and stand-alone shops can reopen.Shops selling essential services such as foodgrains, milk and vegetables were already functioning in the state, while shopping malls, beauty parlours, gyms, liquor shops and cinema halls will continue to remain closed in the state, officials said.Police closed a few shops of electrical items in MG Road market here in view of the Centre's orders.Raipur district administration said that shops selling essential commodities have been allowed to remain open till 4 pm while other shops can remain open between 11 am till 2 pm.Medical stores, shops dealing in fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and agriculture equipment, cereals and vegetables, pulses/rice mills, petrol pumps, LPG distribution agencies, fodder and animal feed shops, retail vegetables and fruit shops, general stores, dairy shops, sweet shops, banks, shops selling meat, stationery and electrical fans can remain open till 4 pm, it said.Plumbers, electricians, motor mechanics, IT service technicians can also operate till 4 pm.Opticians can operate from 11 am till 1 pm while other services like tyre puncture repair shops, shops dealing with cement, building materials and steel bars, insurance service agent, insurance offices, non-banking financial services, electrical and plumbing shops, automobiles, tyre and spare parts shops can operate from 11 am till 2 pm, it said.Print and electronic media, DTH and cable TV services, IT and IT based services (with 50 percent attendance) can operate as usual, it said.More or less similar orders were also issued in other districts excluding the containment zones.The state government had already issued an order to keep foreign/country liquor shops, restaurants-hotel bars and clubs closed till April 28.Dhabas (eateries) on the outskirts of urban areas have been allowed to function in select locations to ensure food for truckers on condition that they will only provide parcel facility, the official said.
