Karnataka Govt Allows Businesses And Shops With 10 Or More Employees To Operate 24x7

The Karnataka government led by Chief Minister (CM) BS Yediyurappa has decided to allow all the shops and other businesses to remain open round the clock - 24 hours and all days of the week, reports Hindustan Times.

The permission to operate in a 24x7 fashion applies to all shops and businesses which employ ten or more people in any part of the state, subject to the condition that no employee will be made to work for more than ten hours - eight hours without overtime - in a single day.

The order further said that if the employees are found working on any holiday or after normal duty hours without proper indent of overtime, penal action shall be initiated against the employer/manager.

The wages including overtime wages of the employees shall be credited to their savings bank account as prescribed under the payments of wages Act, it said.

The move comes as the state government gears up to revive the economic growth and employment generation after suffering huge losses due to COVID-19 induced lockdown and restrictions.

The state has so far recorded more than nine lakh confirmed cases of COVID-19, with over 12,000 fatalities reported so far.