Home Ministry permits 15 industries to start their work with social distancing norms.

Two days until the slated end of the lockdown, the government has enabled more than 15 types of industries to begin their work on a single shift basis with minimal manpower and distancing norms.

These involve large electrical goods such as transformers and circuit vehicles, telecom equipment and components like fibre optic cable, compressor and condenser systems, steel and ferrous alloy mills spinning and ginning mills, power looms, and defence ancillary units. However, cement plants will operate in three shifts, because cement production is a continuous process.

Pulp and paper units can reopen production in clusters where COVID-19 cases are low based on state authorities’ data, said a direction from the Home Ministry given to all state and Union Territory Chief Secretaries.

Manufacturing of fertilizers, paints and dyes, all forms of food and beverage, seed processing units, plastic manufacturing units, automotive units, gems and jewellery business units, all units in Special Economic Zones and Export Oriented Units were also exempted from national lockdown measures.

The Home Ministry has directed the Development Commissioners to take responsibility for maintaining sanitation and distancing norms.

District authorities will track and ensure that those sectors which are approved to be exempted from lockdown must comply with safety, sanitation and distancing standards.

The Government gave orders to establish a supply chain of essential goods throughout the lockout period.