IT/ITes offices are allowed to work with minimum staff
No leeway in containment zones
BENGALURU:
In a major relief to citizens, the Karnataka government has permitted several relaxations amid the ongoing lockdown with effect from Thursday, April 23.
Chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, in his order issued on Wednesday, said select additional activities will come into effect from 00.00 hours on April 23. However, these additional activities will be operationalised by district administrations/BBMP based on strict compliance with the existing guidelines on lockdown measures.
The Chief Secretary’s order initially kept IT/BT activities out of the purview of the relaxations, but an addendum to the order said IT/ITes offices could function with minimum staff from April 23.
The order further says that the administration shall ensure that all preparatory arrangements with regard to social distancing in offices, workplaces and establishments, as also other sectoral requirements, are in place.
The relaxations under the order are not applicable to containment zones.
As per the Chief Secretary’s order, the consolidated revised guidelines will not apply in containment zones marked by district administrations. “If any new area is included in the category of a containment zone, the activities allowed in that area till the time of its categorisation as a containment zone will be suspended, except for those activities specially permitted under the guidance of the Health and Family Welfare Department,” the order reads. (read the order in detail here: https://thebengalurulive.com/up/RD158-TNR%202020.pdf)
‘No’ to schools, colleges, hotels, cabs…
‘Yes’ to hospitals, chemists, public utilities…
Below is a comprehensive list of various sectors and activities that are prohibited/permitted from Thursday April 23, as per the order of the Chief Secretary, Govt of Karnataka.
Completely closed
- All domestic and international air travel.
- All passenger movement of trains, except for security purposes.
- Buses for public transport.
- Metro rail services.
- Interdistrict and interstate movement of individuals except for medical reasons for activities permitted under these guidelines.
- All educational, training, coaching institutions shall remain closed.
- All industrial and commercial activities other than those specifically permitted under these guidelines
- Hospitality services.
- Taxis, including autorickshaws and services of cab aggregators.
- All cinema halls, malls, shopping complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.
- All social, political, sports, entertainment,academic, cultural, religious functions.
- In case of funerals, congregation of more than 20 persons will not be permitted.
- Activities prohibited in containment zones demarcated by local administrations
- Hotspot areas of large Covid-19 outbreaks or clusters will be determined as per the guidelines issued by the Government of India.
- In these containment zones, the activities allowed outside the containment zones will not be permitted.
- District perimeter control in the area of the containment zone to ensure that there is inward/outward movement of population from these zones except for maintaining essential services.
- If any new area is included in the category of containment zones, the activities allowed in that area till the time of its categorisation as a containment zone will be suspended.
What is permitted
- All health services, including Ayush, to remain functional.
- Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, telemedicine facilities.
- Dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies, all kind of medicine shops including Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and medical equipment shops.
- Medical laboratories and collection centres.
- Pharmaceutical and medical research labs.
- Veterinary hospitals, pathology labs, sale and supply of vaccine and medicine.
- Manufacturing units of drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical oxygen, their packaging material, raw material and intermediates.
- Construction of medical/health infrastructure, including manufacture of ambulances.
- Movement of all medical and veterinary personnel, scientists, nurses, paramedical staff, lab technicians, midwives and other hospital support services, including ambulances and inter and intra state, including by air.
- Agricultural and related activities.
- Farming operations by farmers and farm workers in field.
- Mandis operated by agriculture produce market committees.
- Shops of agricultural machinery, its spare parts and repairs to remain open.
- Manufacturing, distribution and retail of fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.
Animal husbandry — the following activities will be functional:
- Collection, processing, distribution and sale of milk and milk products.
- Operation of animal husbandry farms, including poultry farms and hatcheries and livestock farming activity.
- Animal feed manufacturing and feed plants, including supply of raw material such as maize and soya.
- Operation of animal shelter homes including gaushalas.p
Financial sector
- Reserve Bank of India and RBI- regulated financial markets and entities like NPCI, CCIL, payment system operators and standalone primary dealers.
- Bank branches and ATMs.
- Local administration to provide adequate security personnel at bank branches and to maintain social distancing, law and order and staggering of account holders.
- SEBI, and capital and debt market services, as notified by SEBI.
Education
- Online teaching/distance learning to be encouraged.
- All educational, training, coaching institutions, etc., shall remain closed.
- However, these establishments are expected to maintain the academic schedule through online teaching.
- Maximum use of Doordarshan and other educational channels may be made for teaching purposes.
Public utilities will remain functional
- Operations of Oil and Gas sector, including refining, transportation, distribution, storage and retail of products like petrol, diesel, kerosene, CNG, LPG, PNG.
- Postal services, including post offices.
- Operations of utilities in water, sanitation and waste management sector in municipal bodies.
- Operation of utilities providing telecommunication and internet services.
Goods/Cargo
- All goods traffic will be allowed to ply, including cement, steel, jelly, tiles, paint, bricks and tar.
- Operations of Railways for transporting goods and parcels.
- Operations of airports and related facilities for transport for cargo movement and relief and evacuation.
- Shops for truck repairs and dhabas on highways with 20 kilometres distance.
Supply of essential goods is allowed
- All facilities in the supply chain of essential goods, wholesale or retail of such goods through local stores or e-commerce companies should be allowed to operate.
- Shops, including kirana and single shops, selling essential goods with food and groceries for daily use should be allowed.
Commercial and private establishments
- Print and electronic media, including broadcasting, DTH and cable services.
- Data and call centres for government activities.
- Courier services.
- Cold storage and warehouse services, including at ports, airports railway stations.
- Private security services and facility management services for maintenance and upkeep of office and residential complexes.
- Hotels, homestays, lodges and motels which are accommodating tourists and persons stranded due to the lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew.
- Services provided by self-employed persons like electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters in local areas.
Construction activities
- Construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and all kind of industrial projects, including MSMEs in rural areas outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities.
- Metro rail construction projects within the limits of municipal corporation where workers are available on site and no workers are required to be brought in from outside.
Movement of persons is allowed in the following cases
- Private vehicles with passes for emergency services, including medical and veterinary care.
- All personnel travelling with passes to place of work and back.
- Offices of the Government of India, its autonomous subordinate officers, offices of the state governments and local bodies will remain open.
