Cashew processing, coir spinning, handloom and beedi industries will be excluded from lockdown curbs in Kerala after April 20. The state cabinet, which met on Thursday, has recommended lockdown waiver for these segments.
However, these relaxations,in sectors with employment implications, would be in strict adherence to the social distancing norms prescribed to check the Covid-19 pandemic, sources in the CMO told FE.
Ficci-Kerala region had asked the state government to ease the lockdown imposed on account of Covid-19 on select industrial segments such as seafood, coir, cashew, timber & wood industry, rice, spices, food processing and construction, since this would cause employment stagnation.
Instead of going by the Centre’s criteria for designating districts as Covid-19 hotspots, the state government would urge the Centre to redesignate districts as red, orange and green zones. This would mean that the current curbs can be lifted in phases, as and when the situation changes.
Kerala has the country’s highest Covid-19 recovery rate with218 out of the 387 coronavirus positive cases recovering . The state has also decided to increase the number and extent of testing, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan told mediapersons.
Kottayam and Idukki districts would get complete waiver as they are in green zone, as per the new recommendations. Kasargod, Kannur, Malappuram and Kozhikode would be in red zone and the rest, including Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi would be in orange zone.