The order comes a day after the government state permitted Muslim employees to leave offices an hour early during the holy month
NEW DELHI — A day after the Telangana government allowed Muslim employees to leave offices an hour early during Ramadan, the state Labour Commissioner, M Dana Kishore, has permitted shops and establishments to operate for extended hours at night to cater to the festive season.
According to media reports, an order issued on Wednesday permits all shops to remain open beyond regular working hours, up to 5 am. However, the relaxation comes with conditions. Employers must pay overtime wages at twice the normal rate, and employees working on holidays must be granted compensatory leave.
As per the order, shops and establishments have been exempted from Sections 7(1), 12(1), and 31(1) of the Telangana Shops and Establishments Act, 1988, from February 19 to March 20. This allows businesses to stay open till Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) time during the holy month.
The directive also states that employees must not work for more than 13 hours on any given day, including Sundays. Female employees are excluded from the exemption, and no female employee is permitted to work after 8:30 pm.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao issued a memo allowing all Muslim government employees—including teachers, contract and outsourcing staff, and personnel of boards, corporations, and public sector undertakings—to leave their offices or schools at 4 pm during Ramadan.
