The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday allowed the opening of shops selling school books and electric fans, services of bedside attendants of senior citizens and public utilities including recharge facilities for prepaid mobile phones during the ongoing lockdown 2.0.
The home ministry also said bread factories and flour mills located in urban areas can restart operations during the ongoing lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak.
In separate orders, the ministry said the decision has been taken after receiving some queries with regard to exemptions of specific services and activities allowed through the guidelines issued so far.
Bedside attendants and caregivers of senior citizens residing in their homes and public utilities, including recharge facilities for prepaid mobile connection will be allowed to offer services, the ministry said in its order.
Food processing units such as bread factories, milk processing plants, flour mills, dal mills, etc., located in urban areas will be allowed to function during the lockdown.
However, the ministry made it clear that social distancing for offices, workshops, factories and establishments must be ensured.
Facilities for export or import such as pack houses, inspection and treatment facilities for seeds and horticulture produce, research establishments dealing with the agriculture and horticulture activities have been exempted from the purview of the lockdown.
Forest offices, forestry plantations and related activities, including silviculture operations, are allowed during the lockdown.
The ministry also allowed sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers at Indian ports and their movement for the aforesaid purpose as per a standard operating protocol (SOP). It said the change of crew of a ship (seafarers) is an important measure for the operation of merchant ships.
The transit pass for such movement by road, for the seafarer and one driver, may be issued by the government of the State or Union Territory where the seafarer resides.
The local authority in the area where the seafarer resides will be intimated about his clearance for sign-on and for the issue of a transit pass from the place of residence to the place of embarkation on the shipping vessel.
However, making it clear, the ministry in its order also said that relaxation under the above-mentioned items would not be applicable to Hotspots/containment zones.
