Delhi will now be a 24X7 city for diners, shoppers, and transporters among others. In a move that will boost Delhi’s nightlife, Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena has allowed more than 300 establishments, including those engaged in running online shops and delivery shops, hotels, restaurants, transport facilities, logistics, and other essential commodities, to carry on with their business on a 24X7 basis in the national Capital.
However, the services do not include Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Ahead of Diwali, Saxena has approved a proposal to grant exemptions under the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act, 1954 to 314 such establishments.
The applications of some of them were pending since 2016. The L-G also directed the officials that the notification to this effect should be issued within seven days.
“The decision, providing exemption under Sections 14, 15 and 16 of the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act, 1954, is expected to boost employment generation and promote a positive and a favourable business environment that is a prerequisite for economic growth,” sources said.
According to Raj Niwas, the decision will also provide a fillip to the much-desired ‘nightlife’ in the city. Exemptions that are made under Sections 14, 15, and 16 of the Act enable commercial establishments to operate on a 24X7 basis, subject to certain conditions that entail welfare of labour and security, they said.
Approving the proposal, Saxena took a “very serious view” of “inordinate delay, adhocism, randomness and unjustified discretion” on part of the Labour Department in disposing of applications made by the firms for these exemptions, officials said.
Saxena noted that out of total 346 pending applications, 18 applications from 2016, as many as 26 applications from 2017, a whopping 83 applications from 2018, and 25 from 2019, four applications from 2020, and 74 applications from 2021 had not been processed by the Labour Department on time, they claimed.
“These applications were kept pending for no reason even as just two applications, one of 2017 and another of 2021 were processed and sent for approval, in a display of unexplained discretion on part of the Labour Department, which strongly indicated the prevalence of corrupt practices,” sources said.
The L-G said that this shows a complete unprofessional attitude and lack of due diligence on the part of the Labour Department and amounted to the department having adopted a “pick and choose policy” in processing such applications. Such a system may also lead to corrupt practices, they said.
“Further, inordinately delayed processing of such routine applications also negatively affects the confidence/sentiments of the business community at large, the L-G noted while approving the proposal,” they said.
The L-G also pointed towards the fact that it took repeated observations and persuasion from the L-G Secretariat for the Labour Department to put in place a Digital Mechanism for the receipt of applications. This Saxena said, showed reluctance on part of the Labour Department in adopting simple technological interventions that improved the regulatory framework for ‘Ease of Doing Business’, sources said.
Saxena has strictly advised that such applications are disposed of within a prescribed timeline so that a conducive, investor-friendly business environment and positive confidence could be instilled in the entrepreneurs and business community of Delhi at large, they said.
Saxena has also directed the Labour Department to ensure that such delays do not occur in the future, a mechanism be developed for transparent and effective monitoring, reasons for pendency be ascertained, responsibility be fixed and suitable action be taken against the erring officials, sources added.