Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has lifted the relaxations in lockdown extended recently to the Mumbai and Pune metropolitan regions.
Rattled by the huge turnout of crowd since Monday, after the lockdown norms were eased for industrial purposes, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday abruptly revoked the guidelines for MMR and PMR.
The previous order of April 17, slackening the norms to restart select industrial and trading activities, has been completely withdrawn in the two regions due to "the imminent threat of further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic".
The government move comes after citizens converged at different places in large numbers and hit the road, leading to traffic jams on the eastern and the western highways and at toll plazas in Mumbai. State Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta on Tuesday released the amended guidelines.
The government, however, clarified that the relaxed guidelines will continue to be operational in other parts of Maharashtra. With the revocation, there are strict restrictions on movement of people and vehicles, the congregation of people, especially in vegetable markets and groceries.
Also, there will be curbs on vehicle owners taking to the road, except during an emergency; but the latter too will be with proper police authorisation. No religious, social functions will be held. The FPJ had reported on Tuesday that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was extremely disappointed with the citizens for taking the lockdown norms lightly and adopting business-as-usual attitude.
He had warned that the government will put in place further curbs on large gatherings and vehicle movement to avoid spread of the pandemic. Construction work, excluding pre monsoon activity, is allowed but not in containment zones in MMR and PMR. Likewise, the information technology companies have been told to ask their staff to work from home and not to venture out.
Again, in MMR and PMR, shops selling farsan, sweets and confectionary will remain closed till the lockdown is lifted.
NEWSPAPERS ATYOUR DOORSTEP
After much hue and cry and strong objections raised by the journalist associations, the state government on Tuesday allowed the door to door delivery of newspapers and magazines in entire Maharashtra, except in the MMR and PMR region.
‘‘Wherever door to door delivery is done, it shall be with the knowledge of the receiver; in addition, the delivery personnel shall wear mask and use hand sanitizer and maintain social distancing,’’ the government said in its amended guidelines.
However, the government reiterated that given the extent of spread of Covid, door to door delivery of newspapers and magazines is prohibited in MMR and PMR and in all containment zones decided by the district magistrates.
