Karnataka orders partial easing of lockdown norms from Apr 23

The Karnataka government has announced partial relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown norms in the state allowing IT and IT enabled services to operate with essential minimum staff and also certain construction activities, manufacturing of packaging materials, courier services, among others, from April 23.

The activities will be permitted only outside the COVID-19 containment zones identified by the government.

"IT and IT enabled Services will be allowed to operate with essential minimum staff only.

Rest to work from home," the government said on Wednesday.

Earlier on April 18, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, hours after announcing that IT/BT companies can resume operations with 33 per cent strength after April 20, had rolled it back, citing public opinion as the reason.

Service provided by self-employed people like electrician, IT repair, plumbers, motor mechanics, and carpenters in local areas have also been given exemption, in Wednesday's order.

Tea, coffee and rubber plantation have been allowed to work with 50 per cent workforce, and a similar exemption have been given to processing, packaging, sale and marketing of these produce.

"To mitigate hardship to the public, select additional activities have been allowed,which will come into effect from 00.00 hours of April 23," Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar said in an order on Wednesday.

However, these additional activities will be operationalised by District Administrations and BBMP (city corporation in the case of Bengaluru city) based on strict compliance to the guidelines on lockdown measures, it said.

Before operating these relaxations, district administrations and BBMP (city corporation) shall ensure that all the preparatory arrangements on social distancing in offices, work place establishments as also sectoral requirements are in place, it said, adding that relaxations will not apply in containment zones.

Facing a financial crunch, the state government has been eager to kick-start economic activities in the state that had come to halt due to the coronavirus lockdown.

While hospitality services, bars, malls, theatres, shopping complexes, religious and places of worship among others will continue to remain shut, relaxation of norms has been for activities that are linked to essential services such as health, infrastructure and agriculture.

As per the order, while, public transportation will continue to remain suspended till May 3,private vehicles with passes for emergency services and personnel commuting with passes to places of work and back will be allowed.

Activities permitted include construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and all kinds of industrial projects, including MSMEs, in rural areas and all kinds of projects in industrial estates, where workers are available on site and no one is required to be brought in from outside.

Also permitted to function are manufacturing units of essential goods - drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, their raw materials and intermediates;