MHA issues order to exempt certain activities regarding Minor Forest Produce, Plantations, NBFCs, Cooperative Credit Societies and Construction in Rural Areas from Lockdown Restrictions to fight COVID-19.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order to exempt certain activities under the consolidated revised guidelines to all Ministries/Departments (https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/MHA%20order%20dt%2015.04.2020%2C%20with%20Revised%20Consolidated%20Guidelines_compressed%20%283%29.pdf), regarding the Nationwide lockdown to fight COVID-19.
The order exempts from lockdown restrictions certain activities as below:
- Collection, harvesting and processing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP)/ Non-timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers in forest areas.
- Bamboo, coconut, arecanut, cocoa, spices plantations and their harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing.
- Non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) and Micro Finance Companies (NBFC–MFIs), with bare minimum staff.
- Cooperative Credit Societies.
- Construction activities in rural areas to include water supply and sanitation , laying/erection of power transmission lines and laying of telecom optical fiber and cable along with related activities.
No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A)
Government of India
Ministry of Home Affairs
North Block, New Delhi-110001
Dated 16th April, 2020
ORDER
In continuation of Ministry of Home Affairs’s Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A) Dated 15th April, 2020 and in exercise of the powers, conferred under Section 10(2)(1) of the Disaster Management Act, the undersigned, in his capacity as Chairperson, National Executive Committee, hereby orders to include the following in the consolidated revised guidelines for strict implementation by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, State/Union Territory Governments and State/ Union Territory Authorities:
I. Sub-clause (viii) under Clause 6 ‘A’ on All Agricultural and horticultural activities:
viii. Collection, harvesting and processing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP)/ Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers in forest areas.
II. Sub-clause (iii) under Clause 6 ‘C’ on on Plantations:
iii. Bamboo, Coconut, Arecanut , Cocoa, spices plantation and their harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing.
III. Sub clause (v) & (vi) under Clause 7 on Financial Sector:
v. Non-Banking financial institutions (NBFCs) including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) and Micro Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs) with bare minimum staff.
vi. Cooperative Credit Societies.
IV. Clause 16 (i) on construction activities in rural areas, includes, water supply and sanitation; laying/erection of power transmission lines and laying of telecom optical fiber and cable along with related activities.
Home Secretary
To
1. The Secretaries of Ministries/ Departments of Government of India
2. The Chief Secretaries/Administrators of States/Union Territories
(As per list attached)
Copy to:
1. All members of the National Executive Committee.
2. Member Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority.
Source- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1615255
