Home Ministry
Representative photo. Image credit - Dailyhunt

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday issued a new list of activities which have been exempted from the nationwide lockdown.

The activities that have been exempted include activities regarding timber/non-timber forest produce, bamboo, coconut, arecanut, cocoa, spices plantations, non-banking financial institutions (NBFC) and cooperative credit societies and construction in rural areas.

As per a notification issued by the chairperson of the National Executive Committee, these activities have been included in the consolidated revised guidelines on lockdown measures.

Collection, harvesting and processing of minor forest produce (MFP)/ non-timber forest produce (NTFP) by scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers have been exempted from lockdown restrictions.

Harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing activities of bamboo, coconut, arecanut, cocoa, spices plantations have also been spared from lockdown restrictions.

Cooperative credit societies and NBFCs including housing finance companies (HFCs) and micro-finance institutions (NBFC-MFIs) with bare minimum staff will be allowed to function amid the nationwide lockdown.

The constructional activities in rural areas that have been exempted from lockdown include water supply and sanitation, laying/erection of power transmission lines and laying of telecom optical fiber and cable with related activities.

MHA had recently issued a set of guidelines for strict implementation during the extended country-wide lockdown till May 3.