New Delhi: Several industries in rural areas will be allowed to reopen after April 20 so as to mitigate the hardships that millions have been put to due to prolonged lockdown.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the lockdown till May 3, the government issued the guidelines of the lockdown, which has come as a major respite to rural industries, agriculture and some other sectors.
With this, the government will allow farm and related activities, construction of roads and buildings in rural areas, IT, e-commerce and all inter-state goods transport.
The guideline states that industries operating in rural areas will be allowed with strict social distancing norms.
The inter-state transport of goods, essential and non-essential, will be allowed.
Highway ”dhabas”, truck repair shops and call centres for government activities can reopen from April 20.
Manufacturing units of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment can function.
Manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control will be allowed in SEZs, EoUs, industrial estates and industrial townships after implementation of SOP for social distancing. Manufacture of IT hardware and of essential goods and packaging can resume.
Coal, mineral and oil production will be allowed.
The Reserve Bank of India, banks, ATMs, capital and debt markets as notified by SEBI and insurance companies will also remain functional, to provide liquidity and credit support to the industrial sectors.
The supply of milk, milk products, poultry and livestock farming and tea, coffee and rubber plantations will resume.
e-commerce, IT and IT-enabled services, data and call centres for government activities, and online teaching and distance learning are all permitted activities.
Important offices of Central and State Governments and local bodies will remain open with required strength.
All air, train and road travel, educational institutions; industrial and commercial activities, hotels, cinema halls, shopping complexes, theatres stay closed.
Social, political and other events, religious centres and gatherings will also not be allowed.
