Highlights
Lockdown is also necessary to deal with the corona virus, so for farmers it is the harvesting season.
Harvesting of crops and sowing of new crops does not affect the government, so the government gave exemption to the shops of machines connected with farming
Farming related activities were already exempt, the Union Home Secretary asked the states to follow at the ground level
Truck repair shops located on highways are also exempted from lockdown so the supply chain of essential goods is not affected.
This season is very important for New Delhi farmers. Harvesting of crops that are ready to be harvested on the one hand, and preparing for the new sowing season on the other hand. But farmers are facing problems due to the lockdown. On the other hand, the supply chain is also deteriorating due to the lockdown, because the truckers too have to face a lot of problems. Now, the government has taken important decisions and has exempted the farming machines, spare parts and repair shops from lockdown. Shops to repair trucks will also open.
The
Union Home Ministry has increased the list of services exempted from lockdown so that harvesting and sowing are not affected . Now shops connected with farming machines, their spare parts (including supply chains) and repairing will also be open during lockdown. Apart from this, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has re-written to the Chief Secretaries of all states and union territories to ensure exemption from lockdown of farming activities so that farmers can do harvesting and sowing without any problem.
The Home Secretary again asked the states to ensure exemption for agricultural work. In
view of the harvesting season, the Home Secretary had told all the states on March 27 that the activities related to farming should not be affected by the lockdown. On April 3, he wrote to the states again as complaints were coming from many places that it was not exempt from the lockdown at the ground level. The operation of farmers, agricultural laborers, agricultural mandis, harvesting and sowing machines etc. have been given exemption instructions before the lockdown.
truck repair shops will now be open on 500 corona highways in 24 hours, relief to tea industry as well. The
Home Ministry has overcome a lot of problems related to agricultural activities besides trucks. The ministry has now also exempted the shops repairing trucks located on highways from lockdown. This means that these shops will now be open so that the trucks connected to the supply of essential goods can be repaired easily if they go bad. Apart from this, tea industry and plantations have also been exempted from lockdown, but for this a maximum of 50 workers have been placed.
Dhaba, restaurant closed, now NHAI is arranging for food and drink for truck drivers
There is no shortage of essential goods during lockdown, so their uninterrupted supply is necessary. However, truckers engaged in this work are facing all kinds of problems. Due to the closure of repair shops, there was a problem, the restaurant along the side of the highway, the dhaba was closed, and truck drivers are also having trouble getting food and water. Alam is that because of this hundreds of truck drivers are stranded. Now the National Highways Authority of India will make arrangements to eat, drink and serve such drivers at toll plazas.
Hundreds of truck drivers were stranded everywhere. In
fact, the All India Motor Transport Congress, the apex organization of truckers representing 93 lakh truckers, raised the issue. He had said that truck drivers were facing problems due to the closure of the dhabas and restaurants due to the Corona virus lockdown. They are stranded in many places. After this, NHAI said on Friday that it has made arrangements for the food and drink of the truck drivers at the toll plazas.