Lockdown extended in 11 districts in K'taka; unlocking to begin in other districts from June 14
Bengaluru, Jun 10: COVID-19 induced lockdown measures will continue in 11 districts of Karnataka which have a high positivity rate till June 21, while some relaxations will be given in the rest of the state from June 14, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Thursday.
He also said that the COVID curfew will be imposed from 7 PM to 5 AM and weekend curfew will be imposed from 7 PM on Friday to 5 AM on Monday, after the current lockdown in the state comes to end on June 14.
"Current restrictions will continue in all eleven districts with high positivity rate till 6am on June 21, in the rest of the districts some of the restrictions have been relaxed. However, concerned Deputy Commissioners and District in-charge Ministers can take a call to impose more restrictions in their districts," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with senior Ministers and officials, he said the decision has been taken based on suggestions made by the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee, consisting of experts.
"In districts with high positivity rate- Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Davangere, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Mandya, Belagavi and in Kodagu- there will be no changes in the current guidelines," he added.
The relaxation in lockdown measures will be in place from 6 AM on June 14 to 6 AM on June 21.
Noting that restrictions are being relaxed in the rest of the state other than 11 districts, the Chief Minister said, all industries have been permitted to operate with 50 per cent staff strength, but garment industries can operate with 30 per cent staff strength.
Shops selling essential goods have been permitted to operate till 2 PM by extending their duration from 10 AM earlier; also all construction activities will be permitted, and shops needed for construction activities like cement, steel among others have also been allowed to open, he said.
Parks will be opened from 5 AM to 10 AM for walkers, street vendors can do their business from 6 AM to 2 PM, and auto and taxis are allowed to ply with maximum two passengers, he added.
If the situation comes under control as per the expectations it will help the government to announce further relaxations, Yediyurappa said as he sought the cooperation of everyone in this regard.
Responding to a question on public transport buses and functioning of government officers, he said for now buses are not permitted to operate, while important departments of the government can operate with 50 per cent staff.
Hotels and restaurants will continue to do parcel service and bars will be open for takeaways till 2 PM.
The Karnataka government had initially announced 14 days 'close-down' from April 27, but subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24, as the COVID cases continued to spike.
Citing lockdown yielding results and experts' advice, it was further extended till June 7 and then again till June 14.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
