Strict action for not following the COVID-19 instructions

Dear Chief Secretary,

Kindly refer to the Guidelines on LOckdown measures to be taken by Ministries/Departments of Government of India, States/Union Territory Governments and States/Union Territory Authorities for containment of COVID-19 epidemic in the country, as notified by Ministry of Home Affairs on 24.03.2020, and clarifications issued subsequently.

2. It has come to the notice of this Ministry that in some parts of the country, the aforesaid guidelines and clarifications are not being implemented in letter and spirit. Especially,

(i) trucks carrying essential and non-essential goods are being detained;

(ii) workers needed for the operation of manufacturing units of essential goods, and other exempted categories are not getting authorizations/passes for their movement;

(iii) inter-State movement of goods and personnel related to categories (i) & (ii) above 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

(iv) operations of cold storage and warehouses are not being allowed.

3. The aforesaid restrictions, with regard to activities specifically permitted by MHA, have the potential of creating shortages of essential commodities. With a view to bringing in clarity at the implementation level, the following are being reiterated for strict observance by the authorities at various levels:

i. 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.

ii. Empty trucks/goods carriers should also be allowed to operate while on the 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.

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