For the improvement of farmers, daily wage earners and maintaining the chain of supply, The Ministry of Home Affairs has called out a notification informing allowance of few industries operation during the coronavirus Lockdown extent.

The notification put by the Home Ministry of India, reads out- “The permitted activities from the date April 20, 2020, will be aimed for agricultural and related activities to remain fully functional; the rural economy functions with maximum efficiency; employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and other members of the labor force; select industrial activities are allowed to resume their operations, with adequate safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols (SOPs); and the digital economy.”

Here’s a list of activities that are allowed from April 20, 2020:

• All agricultural activity will be fully functional, inclusive of operation of farming of farmers & farmworkers in the fields, also obtaining agricultural products, marketing within the listed mandis, manufacturing, distribution. It also allows activities of animal husbandry including the supply of milk, milk products, poultry, and livestock farming.  Beverages like tea, coffee are allowed to be functional too.

• The road construction in rural areas is allowed. Also, it includes building projects. Without any differentiation of essential and nonessential, transportation will be allowed.

• The guidelines will permit all the health-related services and the social sector to be functional. It will be noted that the supply chain of imported goods will be operational with no hindrance. Even the government offices of Central and State Governments will be opened.

• One of the most important sectors that are Manufacturing industry with access control has been permitted in SEZs, Eos, industrial estates and industrial with strict social distancing guidelines. Similarly, the manufacturing of IT hardware and packaging is allowed.

• Also, it is to be noted that Coal, mineral, and oil production are in permitted activities. As it is notified by SEBI and insurance companies, RBI, banks, ATMs, capital and debt markets will be operational. This is done to assure enough liquidity and credit support to the industrial sectors.

• Another important industry, the digital industry is important to the service sector and is important for national growth.  Similarly, e-commerce operations, operations of IT and IT-enabled services, call centers for Govt. activities will run.  Any online work is permissible like online teaching and distance learning.

• For creating job opportunities for rural laborers, industries in the rural area will be functional. That includes road construction, food procession and all the other works under MNREGA. Priority to the irrigation and water conservation works.

• Also, the MNREGA works will be allowed in lockdown 2.0, but only with the strict compulsion of social distancing & face mask.