To improve the economic structure and provide liquidity in the hands of people the government at centre has allowed 16 manufacturing sectors and services with reasonable safeguards to resume. Big companies, with proper sanitation and social distancing norms in place, sectors such as textiles, automobiles, and electronic manufacturing can operate with 20-25 percent capacity. The MSMEs with export commitments are allowed to operate with minimal manpower and necessary movement of material as a new entity. While granting passes, the concerned authorities may check details of the export commitments and allow accordingly said, Guruprasad Mohapatra, secretary of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in a letter to Ajay Bhalla, his counterpart in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
These companies will have to provide single entry point for workers, and transportation or arrangements for their say in factories, he said. The suggestions were received from the industry and the Commerce Ministry took it to the Home Ministry which decided 16 manufacturing sectors and services will be allowed movement during extended two weeks lockdown; a senior government official informed the media on April 11.
The nation of 1.3 billion people is under second two weeks lockdown till May 3; the biggest such restrictions anywhere in the world to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the April 11 DPIIT letter, companies, including micro, small and medium enterprises with export commitment, are to be allowed to operate with minimal manpower. The necessary notifications are issued to allow movement of man and material, and their export commitments need to be verified while issuing passes, it said. The manufacturing sectors and services are resumed after a detailed interaction with CM’s of various states and industry bodies and the feedback received by DoC and DPIIT from various sources. These suggestions have been examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The services resumed are as follows:
- a) Heavy electrical items like Transformers and Circuit Vehicles
- b) Telecom equipment and components including Optic Fiber Cable
- c) Compressor and Condenser units
- d) Steel and Ferrous Alloy mills
- e) Spinning and Ginning mills, power looms
- f) Defence and defence ancillary units
- g) Cement plants (Cement production is a continuous process and runs in three shifts. These can also be allowed while keeping in mind the safety, sanitation and distancing norms)
- h) Pulp and paper units (production can be resumed in clusters where COVID19 cases are low based on the data by the State authorities.
- i) Fertilizer plants
- j) Paints and dyes manufacturing
- k) All types of food and beverages
- l) Seeds processing units
- m) Plastic manufacturing units
- n) Automotive units
- o) Gems and Jewellery sector units (big and organized)
- p) All units in SEZs and EOUs (Development Commissioners will be given responsibility of ensuring sanitation and distancing norms/safeguards)
The MHA asked the CM’s of different states to order the district authorities to monitor and ensure that those sectors which are allowed exemption from lockdown need to adhere to safety, sanitation and distancing norms.
Industries of the nature of continuous production like steel, power and mining etc. are already exempted under lockdown as per MHA Guidelines and should continue to be allowed.
Shifts may be so operated that it does not lead to crowding during beginning/ end of a shift. Housing and construction sectors need to be allowed if the labourers stay at the sites with all facilities and safeguards. Contractors shall ensure safety, sanitation and distancing norms. All transport vehicles of all sizes, whether inter-State, intra-State or intra-city need to be allowed, whether empty or full, by all enforcement agencies without asking any question. All employers, whose entity is allowed to operate, may be allowed to ask the labourers to report for duty. If labourers do not report for duty, no salary guarantee without work will be the responsibility of the employer.
Services like repair of mobiles, electrical items like refrigerator, air conditioner, television, plumbing and cycles; and cobblers, ironing, electrician, and automobile mechanics should also be allowed. E-commerce platforms providing repair services may also be allowed. All such workmen should carry their ID cards, the letter said.
Read Letter from MHA
Ministry of Home Affairs Letter to Resume Work
By
Babita Sharma