Lockdown: Maharashtra Govt Releases Fresh Guidelines To Allow More Activities
Pune, October 14, 2020: The Maharashtra government today released fresh guidelines to allow more activities. State Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar issued the guidelines under ‘Mission Begin Again’.
1. Containment Zones :
i. The Containment Zones will remain in force until further orders.
ii. The directions issued by the Central Government and State Government from time to time to demarcate the Containment Zones and operations therein will be in force till further orders.
iii. Considering the local conditions, the concerned District Collector and the Commissioners of the Municipal Corporations in the State may enforce certain measures and necessary restrictions in specified local areas on the permitted non-essential activities and the movement of persons to contain the spread of the epidemic only with the prior written approval of Chief Secretary, Maharashtra.
2. All essential shops which are allowed to remain open before this order, shall continue to do so.
3. The activities already allowed and permitted from time to time shall be continued and all earlier orders shall be aligned with this order and shall remain in force up to 31st October 2020.
4. The following activities will be permitted outside the Containment Zones:
In areas outside the Containment Zones, all activities will be permitted, except the following:
i. International Air travel of passengers except as permitted by MHA.
ii. Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to 31st October 2020.
a) Online/distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.
b) Permission will be granted upto 50% of teaching and non-teaching staff to be called to the schools at a time for online teaching / tele-counseling and related works, in areas outside the Containment Zones only with effect from 15th October. The SOP regarding health and safety precautions for the same will be issued by the School Education Department. The School Education Department will take into consideration the SOP issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India.
iii. Skill or Entrepreneurship training will be permitted in National Skill Training: Institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIS), short term training centres registered with National Skill Development Corporation or State Skill Development Missions or other Ministries of Government of India or Government of Maharashtra.
National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) and their training providers will also be permitted.
This will be permitted with effect from 15th October 2020. The SOP issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be followed.
iv. In Higher Education Institutions, online / distance learning shall continue to be the preferred mode of teaching and shall be encouraged. However, Higher Education Institutions only for research scholars (Ph.D) and post-graduate students in science and technology stream requiring laboratory / experimental works will be permitted to open from 15th October 2020 as under:
a) For Centrally Funded Higher Education Institutions, the Head of Institution will satisfy herself/himself that there is a genuine requirement of research scholars (PhD) and post-graduate students in science and technology stream for laboratory / experimental works.
b) For all other Higher Education Institutions e.g. State Universities. Private Universities etc., they may open only for research scholars (PhD) and postgraduate students in science and technology stream requiring laboratory / experimental works.
These will be permitted by the Department of Higher Education (DHE) in the same consultation with MHA, based on the assessment of the situation and keeping in view the incidence of COVID-19 in the Districts. The SOP for the operation of the same will be issued by the Higher and Technical Education Department All Government and Private Libraries will be allowed to function following all COVID 19 protocols of social distancing and sanitation from 15th October 2020. The SOP for the operation of the same will be issued by the Higher and Technical Education Department.
vi. Metro Rail will be allowed to operate with effect from 15th October 2020 in a graded manner. The SOP for the same will be issued by the Urban Development department. The Urban Development Department will take into consideration the
SOP issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for the same.
vii. Marriage, other personal family functions and related gatherings with the number of guests not exceeding 50 and funeral/last rites related gatherings with the number of persons not exceeding 20 will continue to be allowed.
viii. Gardens, Parks and public open spaces for recreational purposes will continue to be open.
ix. Business to Business (B2B) Exhibitions will be permitted to open, in areas outside the Containment Zones only with effect from 15th October 2020. The SOP for the same will be issued by the Industries Department. The Industries Department will take into consideration the SOP issued by the Department of Commerce, Government of India. Local weekly bazaars (including that of the animals) will be permitted to open, in areas outside the Containment Zones only with effect from 15th October 2020. The SOP for the same will be issued by the concerned Rural / Urban Local Bodies and all the protocols of the COVID-19 shall be followed strictly.
5. With an objective to control/reduce crowding, the markets/shops will be permitted to open for 2 additional hours and can function from 9 am to 9 pm in areas outside the Containment Zones only with effect from 15th October 2020.
6. The domestic passengers arriving at different Airports shall be checked for COVID symptoms. Stamping with indelible ink shall be immediately done away with.
7. The health check-up and stamping of the passengers at the railway stations arriving by trains in the State of Maharashtra will be done away with. However, these passengers should follow all the COVID19 protocols of social distancing and sanitation.
8. Any other allowed and permitted activity by any specific/ general order would continue to operate.
9. In order to contain the spread of the epidemic, any activities other than the above will be allowed only with the prior written approval of Chief Secretary, Maharashtra.
10. Easing of Restrictions and opening up of the activities which remain prohibited across the State will be done in a phased manner along with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) /guidelines.
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