States cannot dilute restrictions, directs MHA on Lockdown 4.0

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS): The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has come up with a fresh order for the states and Union Territories (UTs) instructing them “not to dilute” its guidelines issued for the lockdown 4.0 that began from Monday for two more weeks till May 31.

The guidelines were about the opening up of the red zones to boost the economic activities and permit transportation to balance the fight against Covid-19 thereby limiting the economic damage.

In the order, issued by the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to the Chief Secretaries of all states and UTs, it is mentioned that states and UTs cannot dilute restrictions imposed in the MHA guidelines and can only make them stricter based on the local level assessment and the Health Ministry guidelines.

The order was issued on Sunday, soon after the MHA issued the guidelines for lockdown 4.0 to lower the spread of the deadly pandemic which so far has claimed 3,029 deaths and infected over 96,000 people across the country.

The MHA on Sunday issued revised guidelines regarding the lockdown restrictions, to contain the Covid-19 virus with “widespread relaxations given in the restrictions”.

Under the new guidelines effective from Monday, states and UTs would now “delineate the red, orange and green zones, taking into consideration the revised guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Sunday”.

Inside the red and orange zones, containment and buffer zones would be identified by the local authorities, based on local level technical inputs and Health Ministry guidelines, the MHA guidelines mentioned.

Within the containment zones, the guidelines said, strict perimeter would be maintained as earlier and only essential activities would be allowed.

Limited activities would continue to be prohibited throughout the country but “all other activities would be permitted except the ones that are specifically prohibited under the MHA guidelines”.

In view of these points, the MHA has reiterated to the states and UTs that despite widespread relaxations given in the lockdown restrictions under revised guidelines, they “cannot dilute the restrictions imposed in the MHA guidelines”.

They may prohibit “certain other activities or impose restrictions, as deemed necessary on the basis of ground level analysis of the situation”, the order said.

Further, it has been communicated that states and UTs must take into consideration the benchmarks and thresholds indicated in the revised guidelines issued by the MoHFW, while delineating zones at local level.

“It has also been urged to give wide publicity to the Centre and respective state guidelines at local level for the convenience of the public,” the order issued by the Home Secretary reads.

The lockdown since March 25, which entered its 55th day on Monday, has battered the economy and dealt a severe blow to daily wagers and the poor, posing a serious challenge for the Narendra Modi-led Central government.

The new nationwide lockdown guidelines got extension for the third time on Sunday, which was first imposed from March 25 and then extended from April 15 and May 4.