The central government has issued a list of economic activities that will be permitted after April 20 in certain areas keeping in view the interests of farmers and daily wager earners.
The home ministry issued an order listing the activities that will be allowed after April 20 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 scrutinizing their performance in containing the COVID-19 disease,” read the order.
“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,” the order from home ministry further read.
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The following economic activities will be permitted 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. These will not be applicable to containment zones demarcated by respective states and UTs-
1. COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENTS
– Print and electronic media including broadcasting, DTH and cable services.
– IT and IT enabled services with up to 50% strength
– Data and call centres for government activities only
– Govt approved Common Services Centres at Gram Panchayat level.
– E-commerce companies. Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions (for essential goods only).
– Courier services
– Cold storage and warehousing services, including at ports, airports, railway stations, container depots, individual units and other links in logistics chain.
– Private security services and facilities management services for maintenance and upkeep of office and residential complexes.
– Hotels, homestays, lodges and motels which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, medical and emergency staff air and sea crew.
– Establishments used/ earmarked for quarantine facilities.
– Services provided by self employed persons like electrician, IT, repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters.
2. MOVEMENT OF CARGO
– All goods traffic will be allowed to ply.
– Operation of railways: Transportation of goods and parcel trains.
– Operation of Airports and related facilities for air transport for cargo movement, relief and evacuation.
– Operation of seaports and inland container depots (ICDs) for cargo transport, including authorised custom clearing and forwarding agents.
– Operation of land ports for cross land border transportation of essential goods, including petroleum products and LPG, food products, medical supplies.
– Movement of all trucksand other goods/carrier vehicles with two drivers and one helper subject to the driver carrying a valid driving licence; an empty truck/vehicle will be allowed to ply after the delivery of goods, or for pick up of goods.
– Shops for truck repairs and dhabas on highways, with a stipulated minimum distance as prescribed by the state/UT authorities.
– Movement of staff and contractual labour for operations of railways, airports/air carriers, seaports/ships/vessels, landports and ICDs is allowed on passes being issued by local authority on the basis of authorisation issued by respective designated authorities of the railway, airports, seaports, landports and ICDs.
3. FARMING OPERATIONS
– Farming operations by farmers and farm workers on the field.
– Agencies engaged in procurement of agriculture products, including MSP operations.
– Mandis operated by APMCor as notified by state/UT government. Direct marketing operations by the state/UT government or by industry, directly from farmers or group of farmers, FPOs’co-operatives etc. States/UTs may promote decentralised marketingand procurement at village level.
– Shops of agriculture machinery, its spare parts (including its supply chain) and repairs to remain open.
– Custome hiring Centres related to farm machinery.
– Manufacturing, distribution and retail of fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.
– Movement (inter and intra state) of harvesting and sowing related machines like combined harvester and other agriculture/horticulture implements.
Fisheries:
– Operations of the fishing (marine and inland)/ aquaculture industry, including feeding and maintenance, harvesting, processing, packaging, cold chain, sale and marketing.
– Hatcheries, feed plants, commercial aquaria.
– Movement of fish/shrimp and fish products, fish seed/ feed and workers for all these activities.
Plantations:
– Operations of tea, coffee and rubber plantations, with maximum of 50% of workers.
– Processing, packaging, sale and marketing of tea, coffee, rubber and cashew, with maximum 50% workers.
Animal Husbandry:
– Collection, processing, distribution and sale of milk and milk products by milk processing plants, including transport and supply chain.
– Operation of animal husbandry farms including poultry farms and hatcheries and livestock farming activity.
– Animal feed manufacturing and feed plants, including supply of raw materials, such as maize and soya.
*Operation of animal shelter homes including Gaushalas.
4. 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.
5. 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.
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.