Rajasthan govt issues lockdown guidelines to start industries from April 20

The Rajasthan government has issued new guidelines for the Covid-19 lockdown to allow industries and enterprises to operate from April 20.

These instructions have been issued in the order of the Union Home Ministry directions issued on April 15.

According to these guidelines, such industries/enterprises can be started which are located in rural areas (which are located outside the limits of municipalities and municipal corporations) or industrial areas established in municipalities/municipal areas, export based industries or Special Economic Zones (SEZs) where movement is controlled and adequate arrangements are made to accommodate workers in their factory premises or nearby areas.
 

Arrangements will be made for movement passes for the identified vehicles for transportation to the industries/enterprises established in these areas to bring their workers (as per the minimum requirement) to the factory premises.

These passes will be given by the Regional Manager of RIICO in the RIICO industrial areas and GM (DIC) in other areas. For this, applications can be made either online or on the RajCop Citizen Mobile App or offline. Already existing or approved industries will be able to operate as before and their passes will also remain valid.

The Rajasthan government is fighting the situation on the health as well as the economy front, said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday.

"Economic activities have come to a standstill across the country and people do not have employment. Due to the lockdown, there has been a huge reduction in the revenue received by the Centre and the states. There has been an adverse impact on the economy and the industry has also suffered greatly.

"In such a situation, the state government is fighting on the health as well as the economic front," Gehlot said.

FCI godowns are full of wheat and in such a situation, the Centre should distribute wheat among those who need it, whether they have a ration card or not, he said.

Besides, those not covered under the National Food Security Act should also be provided wheat so that no one has to sleep hungry, Gehlot added.

The chief minister said that the Centre and the states would have to work together to bring the economy back on track. The process of lifting the lockdown will also have to be implemented in a phased manner, he added.

Gehlot said mistreating frontline warriors, who are risking their lives to combat coronavirus, was a condemnable act.

Eight people have been arrested in Tonk district for attacking policemen, he said, adding that 191 people have been arrested in such cases across the state so far.