Kejriwal may want Delhi to follow in Mumbai's footsteps — but quick gains from all-night shopping could cost the consumer

• The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) complete manifesto may include keeping Delhi’s markets open around the clock like in Mumbai.
  
• However, there are concerns that it may take a toll on law and order.
  
• Sources told TOI that AAP believes this will boost businesses and help the ailing economy.
  

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of India’s national capital, is making some tall promises ahead of the Delhi Assembly election 2020 as he looks to get re-elected — from legalising slums to electricity without power cuts.

The Aam Aadmi Party is yet to release its complete manifesto but sources told TOI that it may include keeping up Delhi’s markets open around the clock. The idea is to bring Delhi at par with other cities around the world like Singapore, New York and India’s own, Mumbai.

On Wednesday, the Maharashtrian capital passed a proposal to allow shops and restaurants to remain open 24/7 from 27 January 2020. However, the same does not apply to bars and pubs, which will have to close their shutters by 1:30 am.

Supporters of the move argue that it will help businesses grow while opponents assert that it will take a toll on the already deteriorating law and order situation. The party will first run a pilot test and only expand it to more markets if it’s successful.

The question of the law and order
Former city BJP president and MLA Raj K Purohit believes that Mumbai’s decision to keep markets open around the clock will lead to an increase in crime. "If the culture of alcohol consumption gets popular, there will be thousands of cases of crimes against like the infamous Nirbhaya incident," he told reporters.

However, over the past five years, Delhi has installed 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras across the city with another 1.4 lakh in progress. The AAP government is also installing 2.5 lakh streetlights in the city to make the capital free of dark spots.

"For a city to remain open 24×7 and for proper movement of traffic, it needs three times the infrastructure. Since women’s safety is a matter of major concern in India, protecting them and providing more security will call for more personnel as well," Maxwell Periera, a former joint commissioner of Delhi police, told ThePrint.

Periera points out that while other countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have headed international standards, most Indian companies have failed miserably to pay any attention to quality. This has resulted in a pattern of making quick money at the cost of the consumer.

All-night shopping could bring in employment
In Mumbai, the Retailers Association of India (RAI) has welcomed markets being opened around the clock, calling it a ‘win-win’ situation. The consumers will be able to buy things whenever they need. Retailers will be able to bump up sales. With more sales, the state government can collect more revenue.

RAI CEO Kumar Rajagopalan believes it could also help boost employment. He predicts jobs to rise by 10% in the retail sector over the next three years.

However, former urban planning consultant Sulakshana Mahajan warns that the success of such a project will be difficult to measure.

"One of the justifications for such a move is the 24-hour working schedule of many young people, in a globally connected world. However, the actual response will be necessary to evaluate its success," she told ThePrint.

The government currently expects the GDP to grow at a rate of 5% for the year, which is the slowest growth rate for India since 2009.

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