The Centre on Saturday asked all states to make sure that no restrictions were imposed on inter-state and intra-state movement of goods and travellers during “Unlock 3” when coronavirus-induced curbs are being lifted.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, in a letter to all states and Union territories, said that there were instances of restrictions at the local-level imposed by districts and states. Bhalla added that these restrictions are affecting the supply chains, which has disrupted economic activity.
“Such restrictions at local level imposed by the District Administration or by the State Government, amount to violation of the guidelines issued by MHA under the provision of Disaster Management Act, 2005,” the letter read.
The guidelines added that separate permissions or electronic permits were not required for movement of people and goods for trade under agreements with neighbouring countries.
The lockdown was imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 25 to contain the spread of the coronavirus and was extended multiple times before the “unlock” proceedings began. On June 1, the Centre began allowing economic activities as part of its “unlock” initiative.
Meanwhile, India’s coronavirus tally on Saturday reached 29,75,701 after the country reported a record 69,878 new cases in the last 24 hours. The country’s toll rose by 945 to 55,794. India now has 6,97,330 active cases while over 22 lakh people have recovered from the infection.
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