Closing of shops and grant of holidays

(1) Every shop shall remain entirely closed on one day of the week which day shall be specified by the shopkeeper in a notice permanently exhibited in a conspicuous place in the shop; and the day so specified shall not be altered by the shopkeeper more often than once in three months. (2) Every person employed in a shop shall be allowed in each week a holiday of one whole day: Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall apply to any person whose total period of employment in the week, including any days spent on authorized leave, is less than six days, or entitle a person who has been allowed a whole holiday on the day on which the shop has remained closed in pursuance of sub-section (1), to an additional holiday. (3) (a) The State Government may, by notification, require in respect of shops or any specified class of shops, that they shall, in addition to the day provided for by sub-section(1), be closed at such hour in the afternoon of one week-day in every week at such hour as may be fixed by the State Government. (b) Every person employed in any shop to which a notification under clause (a) applies, shall be allowed in each week an additional holiday of one half day commencing at the hour in the afternoon fixed for the closing of the shop under clause (a). (4) The State Government may, for the purpose of sub-section (3), fix different hours for different shops or different classes of shops or for different areas or for different times of the year. (5) The weekly day on which a shop is closed in pursuance of requirement under sub-section (3) shall be specified by the shop-keeper in a notice permanently exhibited in a conspicuous place in the shop, and shall not be altered by the shopkeeper more often than once in three months. (6) No deduction shall be made from the wages of any person employed in a shop on account of any day or part of a day on which it has remained closed or a holiday has been allowed in accordance with this section; and if such person is employed on the basis that he would not ordinarily receive wages for such day or part of a day, he shall nonetheless be paid for such day or part of a day the wages he would have drawn, had the shop not remained closed, or had the holiday not been allowed, on that day or part of a day.