Hyderabad: Several restrictions and exemptions were put in place by the Telangana government after it imposed a 10-day lockdown, starting May 12.
An emergency cabinet meeting convened by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao took the decision following suggestions from various sections of people in view of the intensity of the pandemic. The lockdown would be in force from May 12 to May 22.
However, there would be relaxation in the lockdown for four hours every day – from 6 am to 10 am to enable the people to buy essential commodities.
“All the shops and business establishments would be open during this four-hour period. For the remaining 20 hours, the lockdown would be strictly implemented. Only essential services would be allowed during the lockdown,” an official release from the chief minister’s office said.
The cabinet, however, decided to give exemption to certain activities from lockdown. Works related to agriculture production and allied sectors and agriculture machinery, maintenance of rice mills and transport related to rice; transportation of rice to Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses; fertiliser and seed shops and seed making units shall continue during the lockdown period.
The cabinet also decided to continue paddy procurement without any hurdles during the lockdown period, in the interests of farmers.
Similarly, permission would be given to pharmaceutical companies, medical equipment manufacturing units, medical distributors, medical shops, all types of medical and health services and government and private hospitals to run their activity during the lockdown.
Employees and labourers working in these units and would be given special passes for attending to their duties.
At the same time, there would be no restrictions on essential services like drinking water supply and sanitation in rural and urban areas, power generation, distribution and their allied services, transportation of goods on national highways, petrol and diesel pumps on the national highways, warehousing and cold storage activities and print and electronic media.
Exemption would also be given to employment guarantee scheme works. The state government offices would run with 33 per cent staff. Similarly, banks and ATM centres would run without any restrictions.
With regard to marriages, the cabinet decided to allow them with prior permission, subject to the maximum attendance of 40 members. For funerals, a maximum of 20 persons would be allowed.
The cabinet decided to set up check posts on the borders of Telangana state. Public transport like the RTC buses and metro trains would be available only from 6 am to 10 am. The ration shops also would be allowed to run during this four-hour period. Supply of LPG cylinders would continue as usual.
The cabinet decided to close down cinema halls, swimming pools, clubs, gyms, amusement parks and sports stadiums during the lockdown period. “The Director-General of Police has been instructed to strictly implement the lockdown following the Covid guidelines,” the official release said.