BHUBANESWAR: The Ministry of Home Affairs revised guidelines to ease lockdown on select activities on April 20 has presented a stupendous task before the Odisha Government to prepare and implement the new order.
The State Government, which extended the lockdown to April 30 earlier, had announced relaxations in the farm and allied sectors which are in line with the revised guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday.
However, the guidelines have eased restrictions on several other sectors, including Industry, IT and construction for which the Government will have to make a fresh assessment. The revised guidelines by the Ministry say commercial and private establishments such as print and electronic media, IT, ITES, data and call centres, common services centres, e-com firms, vehicles used by such companies, courier services, private security and facility management services will be allowed to operate.
Similarly, services by self-employed such as electrician, IT, repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters can be permitted. Much of this did not figure in the lockdown order of Odisha and would need revisiting. Manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control in Special Economic Zones and export-oriented units, industrial estates and townships will make arrangements for stay of workers within their premises as far as possible by implementation of the standard operating protocol and social distance norms, as per the new guidelines. The transportation of workers to workplace will be arranged by employers in dedicated transport by ensuring social distancing.
Odisha has two industrial clusters in Jajpur and Jharsuguda districts besides units scattered across the State. Though official sources maintained that efforts to implement the revised guidelines will be started soon, it will take time to look into all aspects of the matter before the Government okayed the operation.
Sources acknowledge that the problem will be locating the workers and transporting them to the industrial units as all units remained shut during the lockdown period. Activities permitted by the Ministry included coal production, mines and mineral production, their transportation, supply of explosives and activities incidental to mining operations.
Brick kilns in rural areas, outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and all kinds of industrial projects including MSMEs in rural areas have been permitted. However, since most of these units have been closed down and workers have dispersed to their villages in the State, it will be a herculean task for the Government to make the workers return to their work places during the lockdown.
The revised guidelines further said continuation of works in construction projects within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, where workers are available on site will be allowed and no workers are required to be brought in from outside. The source maintained that in this condition, construction work cannot start.
Official sources maintained that as the revised guidelines deal with many new aspects, a decision will be taken within a couple of days after due consideration.