NEW DELHI:
India will allow opening up of some industries in rural areas after April 20 to reduce the distress caused to millions of people because of a prolonged lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus, the government said on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended on Tuesday a lockdown of India’s 1.3 billion population till May 3 as the number of coronavirus cases went past 10,000 despite a three-week shutdown announced last month.
Total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India has reached 11,555, and 396 people have died from the highly contagious virus so far. Globally, 126,811 people have died from Covid-19 and confirmed infections have reached 2,004,383.
The government will also allow farm activities, construction of roads and buildings in the hinterland which has so far been less affected by the coronavirus contagion.Construction of medical, health infrastructure including the manufacture of ambulances is also allowed. This helps pharma and medical devices to resume their capital expansion work.
Manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical oxygen and their raw material and intermediates will be allowed to function subject to social distancing norms specified by the government.Manufacturing units of packaging material was also allowed. E-pharmacies can now operate without any restriction on their timing of opening and closure as they come under e-commerce services.Private vehicles for emergency services, including medical and veterinary care, and for procuring essential commodities are allowed.
These relaxations will not apply to containment zones.
Here is the list of activties that are allowed from April 20:
Healthcare services
All health services including AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) to remain functional. Dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies all kinds of medicine shops including Jan Aushadhi Kendras and medical equipment shops will remain open.
Pharmaceutical and medical research labs, collection centres, institutions carrying out COVID-19 related research are allowed to remain open. Veterinary hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccine and medicine will be open.
Authorised private establishments, which support the provisioning of essential services, or efforts for containment of COVID-19, including home care providers, diagnostics, supply chain firms serving hospitals will also remain open.
Financial sector
In financial sector, the RBI, banks, ATMs, capital and debt markets as notified by SEBI and insurance companies will also remain functional, to provide liquidity and credit support to the industrial sectors.
E-commerce operations
Operations of IT and IT-enabled services with up to 50 per cent workforce.
Data and call centres for government activities,
Online teaching and distance learning
Farming operations
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,
Supply chain of milk, milk products, poultry and live-stock farming; and tea, coffee and rubber plantations
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)
Construction
Construction of roads, irrigation projects, all kinds of industrial projects in rural areas outside municipal corporations and municipalities.
Construction of renewable energy projects.
Continuation of works in projects under municipal corporations and municipalities where workers are not required to be brought from outside.
What remains restricted till May 3
Educational institutions, coaching centres,
Domestic, international air travel, train services will also remain suspended till this time,
Public places like cinema halls, malls, shopping complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, bars,
All social, political, sports, religious functions, religious places, places of worship .