Shopping complexes less than 25,000 sq ft in Odisha Capital allowed to reopen

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) today allowed shopping complexes or shop business establishments having less than 25,000 square feet to open.

In an order, the city municipal corporation stated the shopping complex/shop/business establishment whose total area taking into consideration all floors (in case of multi-storied building) will be treated as one unit. Therefore, opening of part of the shop and claiming it to be less than 25,000 square feet will not be considered, it mentioned.

“However, in case a shopping complex has office complex and its total space is more than 25,000 square feet including office space then its shopping complex area will be taken towards the calculation for total area,” it added.

The shopping complex/shops/business establishments will have to adhere to strict COVID norms during the business hours.

Maximum 25 customers will be allowed at any point of time and social distancing of six feet must be maintained among them, the order stated.

Earlier, on June 30, 2021, the Odisha government issued guidelines mentioning about prohibition on opening of shopping malls to contain spread of Covid-19 disease.