Chandigarh, April 24, 2020
                                          The Government of India has allayed some apprehensions raised in the media and by some manufacturing companies after the operationalization of consolidated guidelines which was issued on 15 April, 2020. These guidelines, to mitigate the hardships to the public, allowed certain activities to be resumed after 20 April, 2020.   The Union Home Secretary, in a recent letter to the states wrote that there is no clause in the consolidated guidelines which empowers the states to take legal actions against the company including imprisonment of CEO and sealing of factory premises in case a COVID-19 positive employee is found in the factory. Further, it states that subject to the compliance with the SOP on social distancing, no fresh license or statutory approval is required for resumption of permitted activities during lockdown. 
        A spurt in economic activities can be noticed in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh across the region. Industrial units in Haryana have been following the SOPs for social distancing. As units in Jhajjar district have revived their activity, the workers are staying within the factory premises observing the social distancing norms and other precautions. Farmers in Punjab are using machines to ensure that they get over with the harvesting work within the window of relaxation provided by the government amidst lockdown. Use of a combine by them not only helps in speedy harvesting, being operated by a single person it also ensures that the social distancing norms too are complied with. 
https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1253594711954079744?s=09 (Industrial Units in Jhajjar)
https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1253601672066068480?s=09 (A farmer using a combine)
As agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana have started harvesting of rabi crops, the agricultural activities have been at full swing in the region. Similarly, with the follow-up relaxations by the Government, some electrical goods and mobile repair shops have reopened in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.
https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1253571113751212033?s=09 (Procurement at Malerkotla)
https://twitter.com/PIBChandigarh/status/1253590281770823680?s=09 (Electrical shop in Shimla)
https://twitter.com/PIBShimla/status/1253217934098432000?s=09 (Mobile repair shop in Shimla)
In an order by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 15 April 2020, selected activities were allowed except in containment zones in hotspots. The activities contained in the consolidated guidelines have subsumed all activities that were permitted under earlier guidelines issued on March 24, 2020 including those permitted under addendums. 
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DP/HR

 

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