NEW DELHI: The government on Friday expanded the list of activities that will be exempt from the purview of the lockdown from April 20, including more categories of construction and sanitation works, and non-banking financial institutions and cooperative credit societies.
The Union home ministry said collection, harvesting and processing of minor forest produce, non-timber forest produce by Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers will be allowed.Also, construction activities in rural areas, including water supply and sanitation, laying and erection of power transmission lines and laying of telecom optical fiber and cable along with related activities, will be permitted during the lockdown.Also, non-banking financial institutions, including housing finance companies, and micro finance institutions with minimum staff and cooperative credit societies can function. Likewise, plantation of bamboo, coconut, arecanut, cocoa and spices, their harvesting and processing can resume.