As per the state government’s notification under the Punjab Shops Act all market places, shopping complexes and malls are to remain shut on Tuesdays to adhere to the labour laws and providing relief for all the workers and sales persons.

Multiplex cinema halls, chemists, bars and eateries are exempted from this rule. There was some confusion on Tuesday being a working day as the mall owners and individual shopkeepers are yet to receive a written notice regarding the order. Senior vice-president of the MGF group of malls, Brigadier (retd) Baljit Singh said the retailers were confused “as many enterprises are exempt under the Act and the mall has to remain open for those enterprises.”

The Labour Department says that the Haryana government had issued a notification on February 27 making it mandatory for all retailers to close on Tuesday .

But no one was fined or challaned on Tuesday. “As it is the first day, we asked the Labour department not to impose any fine. But from next Tuesday we intend to impose this rule very strictly and all shopkeepers without the sanction to remain open will be fined heavily,” Gupta said.

According to the administration, shopkeepers who want to remain open must apply for a waiver. “In Gurgaon, lifestyle stores at DLF City Center Mall have been exempted under the Act and are allowed to remain open all seven days,” Labour Commissioner of Haryana NC Wadhawa said.