Tamil Nadu eases guidelines for lockdown 4.0 but not for Chennai — here's a list of activities allowed
May 19, 2020, 13:34 IST
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- Lockdown 4.0 has relaxed guidelines for all but 12 districts across Tamil Nadu — including the state capital for Chennai.
- Transportation will be allowed in the other 25 districts in the state with special buses and a limited number of people per car. Taxis and cabs will only be allowed for essential services.
- Industrial units across Tamil Nadu, expect within Chennai’s city limits, will also be allowed to start up again.
List of districts that will see no relaxations during Lockdown 4.0:
- Chennai
- Kancheepuram
- Thiruvallur
- Chengalpattu
- Villupuram
- Cuddalore
- Ranipet
- Thirupattur
- Kallakurichi
- Thiruvannamalai
- Ariyalur
- Perambalur
For the other 25 districts in the state, transportation is going to open up but remain restricted to travel within the district, according to Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami. He announced that people who wish to commute will no longer need a TN e-pass, which gives individuals permission for travel.
Special buses will be provided by the government or by individual companies to help employees travel to-and-from work. However, they may only carry 20 people at a time. For vans, the capacity is restricted to 7 people at a time. Aside from an Innova — where 3 people aside from the driver as allowed — only 2 additional people can travel in other cars.
Cabs and taxi service have also resumed, however only for essential, emergency and agricultural purposes. The government has urged the public at large to not abuse the services for non-essential use.
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Aside from Chennai, industrial units across Tamil Nadu are now allowed to resume operations — even if they’re located outside of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Companies that have less than 50 employees on their payroll can start up with 100% of their workforce.
Likewise, those employing workers under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGREGA) can also move ahead with 100% of their workforce. However, other units can’t have more than 100 employees coming into work at a time.
All district collectors have been instructed to strictly follow the Standard Operating Procedures laid down by the government as long as the lockdown is in place.
Nationwide lockdown restrictions that apply to Tamil Nadu during Lockdown 4.0
- Containment zones will not be changed and existing restrictions will continue in those areas.
- Schools, colleges, coaching centres and all educational institutions will remain shut. However, Palaniswami has allowed the evaluation of the Class 12 board exams to commence.
- No train or air passenger services will be allowed aside from special trains and flights meant for transporting migrant workers after getting approval from both, the state and central government.
- Temples, mosques, churches and all other places of religious worship will remain shut.
- Theatres, liquor bars, gyms, tourist destinations, museums, public swimming pools, stadiums, and other areas of public gathering will remain closed.
- There will no ‘special’ permission for any kind of public events — including religious gatherings, political and cultural programs, and processions — by the police or any other authority.
- Autos, cycle rickshaws, metro rail, and local electric trains will not be allowed to operate.
- Hotels, resorts and lodges will remain closed, except for those accommodating frontline workers of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Existing restrictions will continue for people participating in funerals and marriages across the state.
- Tourist locations will also remain shut.