By IANS
Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh government’s order to shut down outlets opened by giant retail players seems to have singled out only Reliance Retail and will not affect other retail players like Spencer’s of the R.P. Goenka group. However, the government allowed Reliance’s operations in Noida and Ghaziabad to open in the evening.
The Uttar Pradesh order has nipped in the bud the operations of the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance group within 24 hours of its opening 10 stores in the state capital here.
The order has prompted Reliance to suspend its plans to launch as many as 100 retail stores across India’s most populous state.
The official declaration on Thursday by Shailesh Krishna, the chief minister’s principal secretary, that the closure order would also apply to other retail players like Spencer’s was revised in a surprise move Friday.
“Since there was no law and order problem at the Spencer’s retail outlets, the government decision issued on Thursday would not apply to them,” Krishna told IANS Friday.
Reliance Retail operations in Noida and Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of the national capital, were allowed to open Friday evening. The local authorities in both places got Reliance to roll down its shutters Thursday on account of “security concerns”.
No official was able to elaborate on the “security concerns” as no violence or even a loud protest was reported from either Noida or Ghaziabad on Thursday.
“We had opened our outlets in Noida and Ghaziabad Friday morning but the local police told us to shut shop as they apprehended breach of peace,” a senior Reliance official earlier told IANS.
The closure came despite the principal secretary declaring late Thursday evening that “The closure order will not apply to Reliance operations in Noida and Ghaziabad since their stores are not confined to selling just fruits and vegetables.
“Therefore, it is only the Reliance retail outlets that will face closure until a high-level committee constituted by the chief minister recommends their reopening,” he had said.
While declaring her decision at a press conference Thursday, Chief Minister Mayawati also appointed a high-level committee under Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh to go into the pros and cons of the opening of Reliance retail operations in the state. The committee has been given a month’s time to submit its report.
Reliance Fresh stores were shut on account of “security concerns” and the closure was ordered on account of “apprehension of breach of peace” under the provisions of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code that prohibits assembly of four or more persons at any public place.
Small shopkeepers protested the opening of Reliance Fresh shops, claiming it would hit their livelihood.