TS govt to unveil retail market policy soon
HYDERABAD: Retail marketers, who are keen on expanding business in the state in general and the city in particular submitted a list of requests, including permission to let them employ women in night shifts, to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Representatives of retailers like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Walmart and Big Bazar were among those who met the Chief Minister. The latter, while promising to look into their pleas, wanted them to give their employees at least a day's rest in a week and ensure the safety of women working in night shifts.
'You have to see that every employee gets one-day holiday from work and women employees are provided proper security,' he said.
The retailers also urged the Chief Minister to let them open new branches under the licence obtained for their main branch instead of mandating new licence for every new branch.
Responding to the pleas of the delegation, Rao said his government would soon bring in a Retail Market policy on the lines of the Single Window Industrial Policy.
For this, the government will soon convene a meeting with retailers, GHMC, town planning and labour department officials and real estate businessman,' the Chief Minister was quoted as saying by an official release.
Terming malls as an index of development, the Chief Minister said, 'It is always better to have a facility where people can get all the necessary articles and goods.' However, he felt the retail market should not grow in a haphazard manner and needs to progress according to a plan.
'During the construction of big colonies and apartments, it should be made mandatory to leave enough space for setting up retail markets,' he felt. He also pointed out that multiplexes and retail shopping malls have already come up in Khammam, Nizamabad and Ramagundam towns and there was every need for a policy to govern the setting up and functioning of these outlets.
Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and principal secretary Narsing Rao were also present at the meeting.
News Posted: 3 January, 2015
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