The Union Home Ministry has released a new list of servicesand activities which are being allowed to open from Monday.
The exemption will be applicable from April 20, in thoseareas of the country where the effect of coronavirus is negligible, or whichare less affected areas.
One such list was tweeted by Union Law and Telecom MinisterRavi Shankar Prasad. This includes healthcare, agriculture, horticulture,fisheries and animal husbandry.
Prasad has said that in some cases the government has givenexemptions, and the list has been released. However, these services will not beallowed in the Containment Zones.
Significantly, a meeting of the Group of Ministers headed byDefence Minister Rajnath Singh was held on Saturday. After the meeting it wassaid that any relaxation during the lockdown will be as per the guidelinesissued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. But state governments can also strictlyenforce the rules on their own.
The government has exempted projects and activities relatedto co-operative credit societies, non-banking financial institutions, watersupply, electricity and communication in rural areas.
Apart from this, the government has also said that bamboo,coconut, betel nut, cocoa, spices cultivation, harvesting, processing,packaging, fruit and vegetable carts, shops selling sanitary items, grocery andration shops, dairy and milk booths, poultry, Shops selling meats, fish andfodder, electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters,couriers, DTH and cable services are allowed with certain restrictions.
The e-commerce companies have been asked to start work fromApril 20 but will have to get necessary clearance for delivery vehicles.
Data work and call centres for the government activities,offices with IT and related services have also been approved. But the conditionis that they should not have more than 50 per cent staff.
Activities will also be increased on highways from Monday. Motormechanic shops and dhabas will also open on the highway for truckers with somerestrictions.
The rural area is being given huge relief. Work in brickkilns and food processing has been approved in the villages. Cold storage andwarehouse service will begin.
The fishing business will also be started, which will allowfish feeding, maintenance, processing, packaging, marketing and sales. Hatcheryand Commercial Aquarium will also open.
Work under MNREGA has also come under exemption fromrestrictions.
Construction work on roads, irrigation, building, renewableenergy and all kinds of industrial projects outside the city will also startfrom Monday. It has also been said that if a construction project is to bestarted in an urban area, the labourers should be available on site for this.