Home Secy Lifts Lockdown for Truck
Movements
Movement
of Inter and Intrastate Cargo, Trucks, Workers and functioning of Warehouse and
Cold Storages Exempted from Lockdown
MHA
Directs States to implement Lockdown Guidelines in letter & spirit to ensure
smooth movement of Inter & Intrastate Cargo, Trucks, Workers and
functioning of Warehouse/Cold Storages
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued consolidated
guidelines on lockdown measures to be taken by all Ministries/Departments of
Government of India, States/Union Territory Governments and State/Union
Territory Authorities for containment of COVID-19 epidemic in the country https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/PR_Consolidated%20Guideline%20of%20MHA_28032020%20%281%29_0.PDF.
Subsequent clarifications to these guidelines were also
issued to ensure availability of essential goods and services across the
country and prevent hardships to the people.
MHA has directed States to implement lockdown guidelines in
letter & spirit to ensure smooth movement of inter & intrastate cargo,
trucks, workers and functioning of warehouse/cold storages, as it has come to
the notice of the Ministry that in some parts of the country, the aforesaid
guidelines and clarifications are not being implemented in letter and spirit.
Specifically,
·
trucks carrying essential and
non-essential goods are being detained;
·
workers needed for operation of
manufacturing units of essential goods, and other exempted categories are not
getting authorizations/ passes for their movement;
·
inter State movement of goods and
personnel related to above two categories is getting impeded as passes/
authorizations issued by authorities of one State/ UT Government are not being
respected by the authorities of other States/ UTs; and
·
operations
of cold storage and warehouses are not being allowed.
Such restrictions, with regard to activities specifically
permitted by MHA, have the potential of creating shortages of essential
commodities. With a view to brining in clarity at the implementation level, MHA
has reiterated that the following guidelines are to be observed strictly
by the authorities at various levels:
·
Inter-state and intra-state movement of
all trucks and other goods / carrier vehicles with one driver and one
additional person is allowed as long as the driver is carrying a valid driver’s
license. This is irrespective of the nature of the cargo, whether essential or
otherwise. No further permit or approval
would be required.
·
Empty trucks/ goods carriers
should also be allowed to operate while on way to pick up goods, or returning
after completing a delivery. Hence, there is no cause to stop empty trucks
provided they have valid documents such as driving license & road permit
etc.
·
Local authorities should actively
facilitate the movement of truck drivers and cleaners from their place
of residence to location of their trucks.
·
Local authorities should facilitate the
easy to and fro movement of workers to workplace and back, in respect of
all the permitted industrial/ commercial activities.
·
Railways, Airports, Seaports, and
Customs authorities have already been authorized to issue
passes for their staff and contractual labour. This may be ensured.
·
Regarding issuance of passes to
workers engaged in the manufacturing of permitted categories, the State/ UT
Governments are advised to expeditiously issue passes on the basis of
authorizations issued by companies/ organizations. The State/ UT Governments
shall ensure that these passes are honored both for movement within their
State/ UT and in bordering areas of other States/ UTs.
·
MSMEs engaged in the manufacture of
essential items like wheat flour (atta),
pulses (dal) and edible oils should be allowed to function freely,
without any hindrances.
·
Warehouses/ cold storage
should be allowed to freely function with allowance for to and fro movement of
trucks and without regard to the nature of the goods, whether essential or
otherwise. Warehouses of companies should also be allowed to operate.
It has further been directed that these stipulations will
apply to all areas other than the areas requiring containment, quarantine and
surveillance measures (hotspots) as per the guidelines of Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India where
State Governments/local authorities have imposed restrictions for preventing
the spread of COVID-19.
The communication re-emphasized that movement of persons and
vehicles, as above, would be subject to strict adherence to norms of hygiene
and social distancing, as is required in the context of COVID-19. All States
have been requested to inform district authorities and field agencies regarding
the above instructions, so that there is no ambiguity at the ground level, and
activities allowed by MHA are carried without any hindrance.