Due to the rising COVID-19 cases, a 10-day lockdown has been imposed in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad from July 14. However, amid the lockdown, along with essential services, IT firms are allowed to operate at 15% capacity.
In an order issued late Sunday night, the Pune and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations said that IT firms could continue to operate at 15% capacity, while other industrial operations can continue to operate at 50% capacity.
Meanwhile, it was reported that petrol pumps on Tuesday refused fuel to these employees even after showing passes from the company. A petrol dealer said that they did not have an official order from the authorities as the earlier order stated to give fuel to only those in essential services.
Now, Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram has clarified that IT employees could show their company permission passes to not only commute to work but also to get fuel at petrol pumps during the ongoing 10-day lockdown.
“Fuel should be given to the employees who have such travel passes on the company letterhead. Employees travelling to and from work will require fuel for commute and petrol pumps cannot deny it to them,” Ram told ToI.
He added that action will be taken against those petrol pumps who refuse to dispense fuel to the employees.
Meanwhile, Pune district reported 1,491 new coronavirus patients since previous evening, taking the number of cases to 41,326, a health official said on Tuesday.
The death toll due to coronavirus in the western Maharashtra district reached 1,141 with 43 patients succumbing since Monday evening, he added.
"Of the 1,491 cases, 690 were found in Pune Municipal Corporation limits, which has recorded 28,676 patients so far," he said, adding that 728 patients were also discharged from hospitals.
521 new cases were found in Pimpri-Chinchwad area near Pune city where the case count now stands at 8,420.
(With PTI inputs)
