Police asked to close stationery shops after it was opened following MHA order

Shutters of stationery shops in the national capital opened on Saturday after a month as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) exempted all shops under the Shops and Establishment Act from revised consolidated lockdown restrictions.

In Shakarpur, shop owners have opened the shop but Delhi Police has asked them to close their shops.

"I opened my shop in the morning after the order issued by the central government. After a few hours, the Delhi Police asked us to close the shop. This morning it was also directed by the Market Trade Association that unless an order is received from the Delhi government, the shops will not open in the Vikas Marg area," Amit, the owner of a stationery shop located on Shakarpur Vikas Marg of the National capital told .

"Online studies have started in schools and colleges, due to which the demand for notebook copy and other stationery items have increased. The students and parents are very upset because these items are not available in the market. The sooner the shop opens, the better it will be for students," he added.

The Head constable of Delhi Police's Shakarpur police station, Sanjeev Kumar said that Police has closed the shop as they have not received any order from the Delhi government. "Some shops were open in the morning on Laxmi Nagar and Shakarpur Vikas Marg. Orders have been passed by the central government, but we have not received any orders from the Delhi government yet, so we have closed these shops," Kumar said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended till May 3.

All services, including public transport, schools, colleges, and shopping malls, have been closed to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

( With inputs from ANI )