The revised guidelines on the extension of lockdown announced by the Centre on Wednesday will mainly benefit agriculture, manufacturing of essential goods, e-commerce and some transportation, indicating a graded opening of the economy, while strict vigil is being kept to contain the spread of coronavirus.
In an order, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) allowed activities pertaining to food processing, cargo movement, postal services, courier services, ports, manufacture of IT hardware, mining, electricity generation, telecom, jute industries, packaging material and pharmaceuticals. The entire farm value chain has been covered under the exemptions.
The guidelines issued by the MHA will come into effect from April 20, 2020, till May 3.
It allowed industries to operate in rural areas or outside the municipality limits, special economic zones and industrial townships, with certain conditions.
All agricultural and horticultural activities to remain fully functional such as farming operations by farmers and farm workers in field, agencies engaged in procurement of agriculture products, including MSP operations. Mandis’ operated by the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) and decentralised marketing and procurement at village level will be allowed.
“Industries operating in rural areas, i.e., outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities. Manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control in special economic zones (SEZs) and export-oriented units (EoUs), industrial estates, and industrial townships (will be allowed), the MHA noted. These establishments would have to follow standard operating protocol (SOP).
“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,” it said.
Job guarantee programme (MGNREGA) works are allowed with strict implementation of social distancing and face mask. Operations of oil and gas sector, including refining, transportation, distribution, storage and retail of products, e.g., petrol, diesel, kerosene, CNG, LPG and PNG will be functional.
The MHA also allowed coal production, mines and mineral production, their transportation, supply of explosives and activities incidental to mining operations.
Construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and all kinds of industrial projects, including MSMEs, in rural areas, i.e., outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities; and all kinds of projects in industrial estates were permitted.
“The second set of lockdown guidelines from the MHA should be looked at as an experiment in order to ease public hardships and gradually restart economic activities throughout the country while continuously working towards flattening the curve of the confirmed cases,” CARE Ratings said.