Union Home Secy clarifies 'misplaced apprehensions' regarding revised lockdown guidelines

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Thursday wrote to Chief Secretaries of all States clarifying that "some apprehensions, based on the wrong interpretation of the guidelines, raised in media and by some compes having manufacturing facilities."

The Union Home Secretary enumerated some of these apprehensions in his letter to the Chief Secretaries, "States may take legal action, including imprisonment of CEO, in case a COVID-19 positive employee is found in the factory. In such a situation, the premises of the factory would be sealed for three months."

However, the Home Secretary said that there is no such clause in the revised guidelines and therefore there is no basis for the aforementioned apprehensions.

"No separate permissions are required from authorities for industries already permitted to operate prior to April 15, 2020, in areas falling outside containment zones," the Home Secretary wrote.

The Union Home Secretary further appealed to the State/UT governments that the industrial field establishments and field offices may be apprised of the guidelines of the lockdown measures, which should be followed to prevent the spread of the epidemic but he categorically stated that these guidelines should not be misused to harass the management of any manufacturing/commercial establishments.

( With inputs from ANI )

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