New Delhi: Two days ahead of the slated end of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, the government has permitted over 15 types of industries to start their work with minimum manpower and distancing norms on a single shift basis.
These include those involved in manufacturing of heavy electrical items like transformers and circuit vehicles, telecom equipment and components including optic fiber cable, compressor and condenser units, steel and ferrous alloy mills, spinning and ginning mills, power looms, and defence and defence ancillary units.
Cement plants, however, can run in three shifts as cement production is a continuous process.
Pulp and paper units can resume their production in clusters where Covid-19 cases are low based on the data by the state authorities, said a Home Ministry direction issued to chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories.
Fertiliser plants, paints and dyes manufacturing, all types of food and beverages, seeds processing units, plastic manufacturing units, automotive units, gems and jewellery sector units, all units in Special Economic Zones and Export Oriented Units have also been exempted from nationwide lockdown measures.
The Home Ministry instructed that the Development Commissioners will be given responsibility for ensuring sanitation and distancing norms.
District authorities will monitor and ensure that those sectors which are allowed exemption from lockdown need to adhere to safety, sanitation and distancing norms.
The government issued the instructions in view of maintaining a supply chain of essential goods for the welfare of during the lockdown period.
Taking a serious view on disrupted movement of essential goods during the lockdown, the Union Home Secretary has also asked all the chief secretaries to ensure that trucks carrying food items and essential commodities are allowed free movement on all costs.
In his stern letter to states and Union Territories, Bhalla said that “it has come to the notice of the Ministry that trucks carrying essential goods are being detained in some parts of the country”.
The Centre has cautioned the States that if such a situation continues then it has the potential of creating shortage of essential items.
Similarly in some parts of the country, operations of cold storage and warehouses are not being allowed. Workers required for operations of manufacturing units are not being given adequate passes for movement. Besides, passes or authority letters of free movement of trucks and workers, issued by one state, are not being respected by officials of other states.
Such objections by different authorities have affected the transportation of goods during lockdown. (IANS)
