Inter-state transport for essential goods, agriculture, e-commerce and information technology (IT) services will be allowed to function after April 20 to reduce inconvenience to people amidst the ongoing country-wide lockdown, the Home Ministry said in its set of newly issued guidelines on Wednesday.
The lockdown which was imposed on March 24 midnight was extended on Tuesday to May 3 to contain the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Select agricultural activities will be allowed in areas which are not COVID-19 hotspots after April 20. These include procurement of agricultural products through notified kisan mandis and direct and decentralised marketing of the products.
Data and call centres meant for government activities will resume. The IT industries have been directed to implement work from home protocol as far as practicable. Some of the industries that will be allowed to run during this time are dairy industry, poultry, livestock, tea and rubber plantations among others.
The Centre has also given permission to run industries which are village-based, such as road construction, irrigation and building. The 100-day work scheme for the poor under the Centre’s Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) has also been allowed.
Manufacturing of essential goods and packaging industry for essential goods have also been permitted to run.
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