Easing the Covid-19 lockdown: How states plan to implement guidelines

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday laid down the guidelines for reopening industries and restarting agricultural activities but some states are treading cautiously in implementing them.
 

According to MHA guidelines, while states and union territories cannot dilute the protocols, they are at liberty to impose stricter measures according to the requirements of local areas.  While some states have decided to follow the Centre’s guidelines in toto, others are treading cautiously.
 

The guidelines have also drawn criticism from some quarters. Former Union finance secretary Arvind Mayaram, currently economic advisor to the Rajasthan government and head of a special task force in the state on coronavirus (Covid-19), criticised the Centre’s guidelines prohibiting sale of liquor and tobacco products and also centralisation of decision making.

“Serious loss of revenue for the states and fear of largescale bootlegging and far worse, illicit liquor poisoning. Why are such detailed instructions being issued from Delhi? Detailing should have been left to the states. How can such a large and diverse country be managed so?” asked Mayaram. After the guidelines were issued, Assam withdrew its order to allow sale of liquor.

Maharashtra
 

The Maharashtra government is yet to take a call on resumption of industries in the state. State industries minister Subhash Desai will hold a review meeting on Thursday to formulate the policy regarding opening of industries.
 

One of the proposals under examination is to allow resumption of industries in all regions, except Mumbai and Pune metropolitan areas. These areas have seen the highest number of Covid-19 cases.

Controlling movement of labour within Mumbai and Pune metropolitan areas is seen as a challenge in view of the lockdown.
 

State health officials, too, will participate in Thursday’s meeting. A final decision would be taken by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray after that, it is learnt. Currently, pharmaceuticals, food processing and certain kinds of continuous process industries, including steel, are operating in the state.

The Maharashtra government, on Wednesday, exempted fertiliser and pesticides units and agro processing and packaging industries from the lockdown.
 

West Bengal
 

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said permission to open plants and factories in rural belts and clusters will be decided on a case-to-case basis.
 

Permission for resuming construction work and irrigation has also been granted provided local workers are sourced and employed for these projects.
 

Brick kilns have also been given permission to operate within the guidelines to contain Covid-19.
 

Mamata also allowed work in harvesting activities and tea factories to process and make tea, capping the manpower limit at 25 per cent. The Centre, however, permitted a 50 per cent cap in the tea and plantations sector. Changing her stance on the jute industry, which hitherto wasn’t allowed to function as the factories lie in “sensitive areas”, she allowed opening of all jute mills, capping workforce at 15 per cent against the guideline of 50 per cent.

The state administration has allowed manufacture of bidi. The Centre’s revised guideline has strictly banned sale of tobacco, guthka and others, though.
 

“The Centre issues guidelines but it is the state which has to implement it. It is the state which does work on the ground,” she said.
 

Telangana
 

With 50 per cent of the Covid-19 cases and majority of deaths reported from capital Hyderabad, the state government wants to tread carefully in giving relaxations to the IT, ITeS and other sectors in the city.
 

The government is likely to consult IT companies on the feasibility of allowing operations with 50 per cent workforce. This is because many software employees have to move through the containment zones; most of the IT companies are, however, outside the containment zones and are working from home currently. On the agriculture side, the state had already ensured harvesting, procurement and marketing activities during the rabi season. Spare parts and mechanics were made available for harvesters in the state.
 

Now, steps would be taken to facilitate relaxations being given to other sectors, like roads and buildings, irrigation and construction and industrial activity outside the city.
 

Tamil Nadu
 

The state government will work based on the Centre’s guidelines, said an official. The guidelines are clear that resuming operations in the containment area is not allowed in any zone. The health department and the district collectors know these areas. In industrial estates and others, there is no containment area. There may be some individual industries that would be falling in these areas.

The government will issue guidelines and the industry needs to follow that. The companies have to apply for permission with district collectors or district industry centres to resume operations, where they will be mentioning how to implement the guidelines.
 

Migrant workers are more in construction and textiles and a few other sectors. If these companies are permitted to work after April 20, they can use these workers as per the guidelines. The industry has already arranged facilities for migrant workers like accommodation and others.
 

The opening of factories may amount to movement of a lot of people. How the government will regulate that and give passes is an issue.
 

Uttar Pradesh
 

In a meeting on Wednesday afternoon, chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to lay out a road map so that the state strikes harmony with the advisory of the central government. For example, various activities pertaining to roads, expressways and other infrastructure projects would be started from April 20, while maintaining social distancing norms, UP additional chief secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi said.

Besides, the state government has advised industries that operate out of an integrated complex. This will provide proper food and lodging to workers inside their premises so that there is minimum movement of labour in the area.
 

Andhra Pradesh
 

The Andhra Pradesh government, which has been urging the Centre to allow economic activity, including agriculture, aqua and industrial operations outside the Covid-19 hotspots, has received a shot in the arm with the new guidelines.
 

The state government has already intimated the Centre that it would take steps to implement the latest guidelines issued by the MHA.
 

The government has been making efforts to ensure procurement, marketing and export of acqua, horticulture and agriculture commodities. Andhra is one of the largest horticulture and aquaculture producers in the country. The agriculture department has already started issuing export permit letters to farmers to sell their produce in other states.

It has also decentralised Rythu Bazars (government-run vegetable markets where farmers directly sell vegetables) and set up an additional 471 temporary Rythu Bazars, apart from the existing 100, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s office said.

Gujarat
 

The Gujarat government would go with the Centre’s guidelines. “We will go word by word. Whatever has been defined by the Centre’s notification will be followed without any changes,” said M K Das, principal secretary, industries and mines, Gujarat.

Kerala
 

State finance minister Thomas Isaac said the restrictions imposed at present have to be continued without any change till April 20. The state minister’s meeting, to be held on Thursday, will discuss and decide how the new guidelines will be implemented.

With inputs from Aneesh Phadnis, Archis Mohan, Avishek Rakshit, Dasarath Reddy, T E Narasimhan, Virendra Singh Rawat, Vinay Umarji