NEW DELHI: Seeking to end the confusion over its late Friday night order allowing opening of shops selling non-essential items, the home ministry clarified on Saturday that shops in markets or market complexes will remain closed in urban areas while standalone and neighbourhood shops and those in residential complexes can operate in non-containment zones.The Centre said shops offering services like salons, barber shops and restaurants will remain closed in both urban and rural areas. The clarification followed considerable confusion over the Friday midnight order that led to concerns over crowding if market places were to open and whether this would significantly dilute the national lockdown that is scheduled to end on May 3.The home ministry also reiterated that e-commerce companies will continue to be permitted to sell only essential goods and relaxation for certain categories of shops does not extend to liquor vends which will remain shut. The home ministry said its latest order modifying guidelines implied that in rural areas, all shops, except shopping malls, are allowed to operate.In urban areas, it added, all standalone, neighbourhood and shops in residential complexes will be open. “Shops in markets/ market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open,” it stated.Sources in the home ministry said all markets in urban areas, which are prone to large footfalls, will continue to be closed. “But to ease hardships faced by residents unable to access non-essential items during the lockdown and restore livelihood of small traders who have been unable to open their shops for a month now, it was decided to let some shops resume operations while ensuring that social distancing and safety norms are strictly adhered to,” said an official.The order essentially means while neighbourhood shops like general stores and standalone shops selling items like stationery may open, electronics and hardware shops in organised market places will not. The home ministry, in view of queries coming from various sections of society, clarified that all restaurants, salons and barber shops will remain closed. “They render services and relaxations given under lockdown restrictions yesterday (Friday) pertain only to shops selling items,” said an MHA spokesperson. Interestingly, however, a source indicated that neighbourhood tailoring shops may be allowed to function as they can also help stitch face masks for protection against Covid-19.“It is very difficult to put down a list of shops that can open as per items sold. As and when queries are sought, the clarifications will be put out,” said an official.The final approvals will be given by respective states and UTs, though the relaxations would have to be within the limits set by the guidelines. The states/UTs will also be free not to allow these relaxations or make further restrictions on shops that can be opened in non-containment zones.In its late night order on Friday, the home ministry had permitted all shops in residential and market complexes outside municipal limits as well as all neighbourhood, standalone shops and shops in residential complexes within municipal limits of non-containment zones to open. This concession was not extended to single and multi-brand malls outside municipal limits and single-brand and multi-brand malls as well as market complexes within municipal limits.The opening of shops, as per an order put out by the home ministry in modification of the April 15 guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, would be subject to the conditions that the shops that will open will operate with 50% staff strength and use of face masks and adherence to social distancing norms will be mandatory.