New Delhi: The supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the countrywide lockdown, said the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday.
The nationwide lockdown in India meant for a period of 21 days, was extended till May 3 by the government. And only the delivery of essential goods was allowed under the first phase of lockdown between March 24 and April 14.
The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal also welcomed the decision saying that the move will create a level playing field for small retailers.
The ministry had said that vehicles of e-commerce companies would be allowed to ply on the roads with the necessary approvals. Earlier, in the notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs had clearly stated that e-commerce companies would be allowed to supply only essential commodities like food items, medicines and medical equipment.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that as per the guidelines issued, services offered by self-employed workers such as electricians, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters will be allowed from April 20. The interstate, inter-district movement, metro, bus services of people will continue to be banned till May 3, while industries operating in rural areas will be allowed to operate from April 20 with strict social distance norms. Manufacturing, industrial units, export based units, industrial estates and industrial cities located in limited access SEZs will be allowed to operate from April 20.
The guideline states that educational institutions, coaching centers, domestic and international air traffic, train services will also be suspended during this period. Public places like cinemas, malls, shopping complexes, gyms, sports complexes, swimming pools, bars will also be closed till May 3. According to the new guidelines, all social, political, sports, religious ceremonies, religious places, prayer places will remain closed to the public till May 3.
According to this, dhabas running on highways, truck repair shops, call centers for government activities will open from April 20. Agricultural equipment shops, spare parts, its supply chain, repair, ‘custom hiring centers’ related to agricultural implements will be open from April 20.
