New Delhi: The government has permitted over 15 types of industries to start their work with minimum manpower and distancing norms on a single shift basis.
The decision aims to maintain a supply chain of essential goods during the lockdown period, which has now been extended for two more weeks.
These industries include those involved in manufacturing of heavy electrical items like transformers and circuit vehicles, telecom equipment and components including optic fibre 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 all state and Union Territory Chief Secretaries.
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.
Allow truckers to move freely across India: Centre
Taking a serious view on the disrupted movement of essential goods during the lockdown, the Union Home Secretary has asked all the Chief Secretaries to ensure that trucks carrying food items and essential commodities are allowed free movement at all costs.
In his stern letter to states and Union Territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay 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 a 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 the lockdown.
The Home Ministry has clearly instructed that free movement of trucks carrying essential and non-essential items should be allowed as long as the driver is carrying a bonafide drivers licence. The driver can be assisted by a helper.
The authorities will no longer ask the driver for any other approval.
Moreover, empty trucks, returning after unloading goods will not be stopped.
Workers who are on their way to join manufacturing units will be allowed to move.
All warehouses, and cold storages, spread across the country will be allowed to operate freely. The authorities will not hamper their operations during the hour of this national crisis.
"These stipulations will apply to all areas, other than areas requiring containment, quarantine and surveillance measures as per the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare," the letter of Union Home Secretary says.
Earlier, many manufacturing and traders associations had complained that mills and factories were not functioning properly as passes were not issued to most of their workers. Transport Unions have also requested the Government that free movement of truckers should be allowed as thousands of goods carriers were stranded on various highways. Highly-placed sources said that after the fresh instructions, states have asked the district authorities to ensure free movement of transport, the functioning of warehouses and smooth operations of all factories.
(With inputs from agencies)
