Home ministry guidelines on lockdown

The central government has come out with a list of economic activities that will be permitted after April 20, 2020 in identified areas keeping in view the interests of farmers and daily wager earners.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order delineating a list of activities that will be allowed after April 20, 2020 and those which are prohibited.

“The activities prohibited across the country include 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. based on relaxations granted to areas after scrutinising their performance in containing the Covid-19 disease,” read the order.

However, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that some relaxations will be permitted after April 20, 2020 based on carefully monitoring the performance of blocks, districts, states in tackling the Covid-19 disease in their respective areas, the home minstry has issued guidelines regarding permission to certain economic activities from April 20, 2020 onwards.

“The permitted activities from April 20, 2020 are aimed at ensuring that agricultural and related activities remain fully functional; the rural economy functions with maximum efficiency; employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and other members of the labour force; select industrial activities are allowed to resume their operations, with adequate safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols (SOPs); and the digital economy,” read the order from home ministry.

The following economic activities will be permitted as they are crtitical for agricultural sector and job creation while strictly adhering to protocols in those areas where safety is paramount to contain the spread of Covid-19. These will be operationalised by state/UTs/district authorities based on compliance with existing guidelines.

Here’s a list of activities which will be allowed after April 20, 2020:

1. Transportation of goods will be permitted without any distinction of essential or non essential.

2.Farming operations, including procurement of agricultural products, agriculture marketing through notified Mandis and direct and decentralized 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 are allowed to be functional.

3. To provide an impetus to the rural economy, 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; and operation of rural Common Service Centres (CSCs) have all been allowed. These activities will create job opportunities for rural labor, including the migrant labor force.

4. 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. Manufacture of IT hardware and of essential goods and packaging are also allowed. Coal, mineral and oil production are permitted activities. 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. At the same time, the important components of the financial sector, e.g., RBI, banks, ATMs, capital and debt markets as notified by SEBI and insurance companies will also remain functional, with a view to provide enough liquidity and credit support to the industrial sectors.

5. Digital economy is critical to the services sector and is important for national growth. Accordingly, e-commerce operations, operations of IT and IT enabled services, data and call centres for Government activities, and online teaching and distance learning are all permitted activities now.

6. The revised guidelines also permit all health services and the social sector to remain functional; public utilities to function without any hindrance; the supply chain of essential goods to operate without any hindrance; and, important offices of Central and State Governments and local bodies to remain open with required strength.