Hyderabad: Telangana State government has issued guidelines allowing shops, restaurants, and cafes to function 24x7. In order to make the change, the state has modified opening and closing hour rules. This progressive move puts Hyderabad in the league of a few cities like Mumbai that are open all the time. According to the guidelines issued by the Labour department, all shops and establishments defined in Section 2 (21) of the Telangana Shops & Establishments Act 1988 are exempt from Section 7 (opening and closing hours) of the same act. The guidelines also ensure the welfare of employees in such establishments by including overtime wages, the consent of women to work in the night shift, to-and-fro transport for women employees during the night shift, weekly working hours, and the provision of ID cards. Those who wish to operate 24-hour services are required to pay an annual fee of Rs. 10,000 to the state government.
