Srinagar : The union home ministry on Wednesday issued national directives on lockdown measures till May 3 identifying select activities that will be allowed from 20th April, 2020.
According to KINS the first set of such guidelines to be followed by States for “containment of COVID-19 epidemic” in the country was issued on March 24 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, invoked for the first time in the country.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the guidelines has made face masks compulsory and said some industrial and commercial activities will be opened from April 20 in those areas and districts which are not part of containment zones.
According to KINS it said this has been done to make sure that poor daily wage earners get the opportunity to work, as MGNREGA has got the place in the list of allowed activities.
In the order stipulating the guidelines, the MHA said that as the Prime Minister declared that select necessary activities will be allowed to be opened from April 20 in identified areas of the country, “select additional activities in areas not demarcated as containment zones by States/UTs/ District Administrations will be allowed from April 20”.
“The objective of the revised guidelines is to consolidate the gains achieved during the first phase of lockdown and further slow down the spread of Covid 19; at the same time, provide relief to farmers and labour and daily wage earners,” it said.
Besides ensuring that the rural economy functions with maximum efficiency, the MHA said, “Manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control have been permitted in SEZs, EoUs, industrial estates and industrial townships after implementation of SOP for social distancing.” These will include manufacturing of IT hardware, essential goods, packaging, coal, mineral and oil production.
“It is expected that the industrial and manufacturing sectors will see a revival with these measures, and will create job opportunities while maintaining safety protocols and social distancing,” it said.
It went on to add that at the same time the important components of the financial sector, including “RBI, banks, ATMs, capital and debt markets as notified by SEBI and insurance companies will also remain functional, with a view to providing enough liquidity and credit support to the industrial sectors”.
Transportation of goods will be permitted without any distinction of essential or non essential, it reiterated. Farming operations, including procurement of agricultural products, agriculture marketing through notified mandis and direct and decentralised marketing, manufacture, distribution and retail of fertilizers, pesticides and seeds; activities of marine and inland fisheries; animal husbandry activities, including the supply chain of milk, milk products, poultry and live-stock farming; and tea, coffee and rubber plantations will continue to be functional, as were allowed during the first phase of lockdown.
However, certain activities including travel by air, rail and road; operation of educational and training institutions; industrial and commercial activities; hospitality services; all cinema halls, shopping complexes, theatres, etc; all social, political and other events; and opening of all religious places/places of worship for members of public, including religious congregations, will continue to be prohibited across the country without exception, it said.
It said mandatory homemade face covers at workplaces and in public places, strong hygiene and health care measures like provision of sanitisers, staggered shifts, access control, thermal screening and imposing fines for spitting etc penalties will be imposed for violation.(KINS)
