The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all statesand Union Territories to exempt the supply chain and transportation ofessential goods and services in the face of the 21-day lockdown across thecountry over the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ministry in a letter to the Chief Secretaries andDirectors General of Police of all states and Union Territories also directedto enforce the social distancing and isolation along with the exemption tosupply of goods to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission outbreak.
“While it is imperative to successfully implement thenotified lockdown
restrictions, it is also necessary to ensure the unhinderedoperation of
manufacturing, processing, transportation, distribution,storage, trade & commerce and logistics related to all services andestablishments and commodities required for the delivery of essential services,which have been exempted under the various prohibitory orders,” the orderissued on Tuesday said.
In order to ensure that these provisions are seamlesslyavailable at ground level, it is directed that each state and UT should set upa round-the-clock control room or office with helplines at state and districtlevel to address any grievance or undue problems faced by the providers ofgoods and services including during inter-state movement.
A nodal officer in a state may be appointed to coordinatewith the district administration and police in this matter, said the order.
“This is necessary to ensure continuity of supply chainfor essential commodities, several of which may be of a perishablenature.”
The Ministry directed to lay down a Standard OperatingProtocol (SOP) for
unhindered operation of essential services andestablishments and
commodities, including appointment of nodal officers atinter-state borders, issue of vehicular passes and e-passes.
It is advised that the state helpline facility ensureadequate protection to essential service providers government or public sectoremployees and healthcare workers engaged in providing essential services orrequisitioned for administrative exigencies in each state and UT.
The aim is to avoid any unwanted stigmatization by any localpersons on any grounds in an exposed environment like hospitals, publicfacilities and essential service facilities.
The Ministry also directed the states and UTs to issuesuitable directions to set up a nodal control room or office with helplines inthe state and appoint a nodal officer immediately.
As per the order, the state and UTs will have to share thedetails of the nodal officer and helpline number with central control room inthe Ministry of Home Affairs and that these facilities should be given widepublicity.
The direction came after the Prime Minister declared acomplete lockdown of the country for 21 days till April 14 from Wednesdaymidnight. The Ministry of Home Affairs has already issued guidelines with thedirections for their strict implementation, on the measures to be taken by theministries and departments of government of India and state and UT governmentsfor containment of COVID-19 epidemic in the country.
The lockdown has also been declared by many states and UTgovernments. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued advisoriesfor various precautionary measures, including social distancing.