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ShareThe labour department of the state government issued a notice on Wednesday through the media. It stated that shops and establishments could remain open on October 13, the polling day, but their staff would have to be given a paid holiday.
If the notice seems to be ambiguous, the penalty its violation entails is ridiculous. Any establishment flouting the rule will be fined only Rs500."Except for the essential services, the rest of the shops and establishments will have to give their employees a full-pay holiday," Kavita Gupta, state labour commissioner, said. "It is the fundamental right of a person to cast his vote. We want to motivate people to go out and vote. The proprietors are bound by the government rule."
The notice also sent out a warning to the proprietors. "It has come to the notice of the Election Commission of India and the chief electoral officer of Maharashtra that in the past certain employers had not given holiday to their employees due to which they were not able to exercise their right to vote. This matter has been viewed seriously by the authorities," it said.
All shops, restaurants, hotels, theatres, malls, multiplexes, businesses and industries in the state will have to abide by the notice. Gupta said the labour department had left it to the owners to decide whether they would keep their establishments open next Tuesday. "We have not declared closure. We have only said that the day will have to be a compulsory paid holiday for all employees," she said.
The owners of the enterprises, however, said that they were yet to receive the notice. Initially, some multiplexes and malls had decided to down shutters. But because of the ambiguity of the notice, they seem to be having second thoughts. "We are yet to officially hear from the government. We have only got the information from news reports. Once we are officially notified, we will take a call on it, and adhere to it in its entirety," said an INOX multiplex spokesperson.
A labour department source said that there would be 28 flying squads conducting surprise checks across the state to ensure that the notice had been adhered to. "Any establishment flouting the rule will be fined Rs 500. Also, a complaint will be lodged with the chief electoral officer of the state," said Gupta.
Essential services like health services, dairy transport, water and gas supply have been exempted from this notification.
