A day after the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that e-commerce companies will be allowed to operate during lockdown 2.0 period without categorically mentioning essential or non-essential items in its order, the ministry has now clarified that e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal will be allowed to sell goods including mobile phones, televisions, refrigerators, laptops and stationary items from April 20 onwards during the lockdown, PTI cited officials from the home ministry. The guidelines by the union home secretary Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday had noted that “e-commerce companies” will be allowed to operate while “vehicles used by the e-commerce operators” would require necessary permissions from concerned authorities to operate.
The home ministry in earlier notifications had mandated e-commerce firms to sell only essential goods like food, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The home ministry order had also said that “All facilities in the supply chain of essential goods, whether involved in manufacturing, wholesale or retail of such goods through local stores, large brick and mortar stores or e-commerce companies should be allowed to operate, ensuring strict social distancing without any restriction on their timing of opening and closure.”
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The move will provide relief to e-commerce companies which have been surviving only on essential goods delivery even as they have been challenges around shrinking delivery strength and on-ground restrictions by local authorities and police personnel. Several companies in online services including Flipkart, Zomato, Medlife, Milkbasket had raised concern around their delivery personnel facing action from the police.
The government had allowed the movement of all trucks and other goods/ carrier vehicles with two drivers and one helper subject to the driver carrying a valid driving license, according to a note sent by Bhalla to chief secretaries of all states recently to ensure easy movement of essential or non-essential goods across the country. Bhalla had also asked the secretaries to ensure that ensure passes are issued by railways, airports, seaports, and customs authorities to their staff and contractual labour.