New rules for extended lockdown: What is allowed, what is not
The Centre has released revised guidelines for the extended coronavirus lockdown.
The Government of India Information and Broadcasting, in a press release dated April 15, has published a set of revised consolidated guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs about what is allowed and what is not allowed April 20
The said relaxations will, however, not be applicable in the containment zones as demarcated by States/UTs/ District Administrations. Such zones will not be allowed to have any unchecked inward/outward movement, except for maintaining essential services, such as medical emergencies and law & order duties, and government business continuity.
What is allowed
- Financial sector, such as RBI, banks, ATMs, capital and debt markets
- Supply chain of essential goods
- Transportation of goods without any distinction of essential or non essential
- Farming operations, including procurement of agricultural products, agriculture marketing through notified Mandis and direct and decentralised marketing, manufacture, distribution and retail of fertilisers, 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
- Tea, coffee and rubber plantations
- Health services
- Social sector
- Industries operating in rural areas, including food processing industries
- Construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and industrial projects in rural areas
- Works under MNREGA, with priority to irrigation and water conservation works
- Operation of rural Common Service Centres (CSCs)
- Manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control in SEZs, EoUs, industrial estates and industrial townships
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Manufacture of IT hardware and of essential goods and packaging
Coal, mineral and oil production - e-Commerce operations
- Operations of IT and IT enabled services
- Data and call centres for government activities
- Online teaching and distance learning
What is not allowed
- 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
- Opening of all religious places/ places of worship for members of the public, including religious congregations.
In addition, the use of homemade face covers at work places and in public places is now ‘mandatory’. People have been asked to maintain strong hygiene and health care measures like provision of sanitisers , staggered shifts , access control , thermal screening and imposing fines for spitting etc.
“In sum, the revised consolidated guidelines are aimed at operating those sectors of the economy which are critical from the perspective of rural and agricultural development and job creation, while maintaining strict protocols in areas where safety is paramount to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country,” the revised guidelines say.
