Some of the lockdown restrictions will be partially eased for select sectors in Karnataka from Friday.
According to a notification issued by the state chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, IT and ITeS companies can resume operations with “essential minimal staff” only and the rest continuing to work from home. This is seen as critical move as Karnataka is one of the largest exporters of IT services.
The 14-page order also allowed works under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MNREGA), courier services, cold storage and warehousing services, private security and facilities management, self employed electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters, food processing industries in rural areas, manufacturing units of essential goods, packaging material and construction activities including metro rail, roads, irrigation works and other industrial projects. All of which will be allowed only outside containment zones, more than 400 of which have been identified across the state. It also requires wearing of masks, social distancing and other measures.
The state government has been under immense financial pressure ever since the lockdown came into effect from March 25 that paralysed almost all revenue generating activities across the state. Apart from the above-mentioned exceptions, Karnataka’s primary and secondary education minister Suresh Kumar emphasized that lockdown in other areas of life would continue till May 3rd as announced earlier. Which means no malls, theaters, metro, bus train or flight services and all religious places would continue to stay shut.