On the third day of the lockdown 2.0, the Narendra Modi government has made new additions to the list of activities that will be allowed amid lockdown in parts of the country that are least affected by coronavirus. Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an order to include the following in the consolidated revised guidelines on lockdown measures for strict implementation.
As per the notification, non-banking finance corporations and micro-finance institutions can resume services. Bamboo, coconut, arecanut cocoa, spices plantation and their harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing are also allowed to be carried out during the lockdown.
Construction in rural areas of water supply and sanitation and laying of power lines and telecom optical fibers and cables will also be allowed, according to a notification put out by the home ministry.
Last night, the government said mobile phones, televisions, refrigerators, laptops, clothes and stationery items for schoolchildren can be sold on e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal, along with essential commodities like groceries and medicines.
Delivery vans of the e-commerce companies would, however, need permission from authorities to operate on roads.
The government has come out with guidelines for the revival of industrial and commercial activities after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended till May 3 the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus in the country.
After continuing a strict lockdown till April 20, the districts that are not virus hotspots will be allowed to resume some industrial, construction and manufacturing activities as the government attempts to restart the economy and move towards a gradual exit from the nationwide shutdown to prevent the infection from spreading rapidly.
The home ministry has also issued guidelines for social distancing and other precautions to be maintained at workplaces while these activities take off again.
Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has gone up to 13,387 while the death toll has risen to 437, according to the latest figures from the Health Ministry. In the past 24 hours, 1,007 fresh COVID-19 infections and 23 deaths were reported. On the other hand, 1748 patients have been cured of the virus or discharged.
