Amid Lockdown, India Is Witnessing Progress In Economic Activities in Rural Areas: Home Ministry

Mumbai: A few days after the Center relaxed the lockdown norms to allow it to start economic activities in the country, the Union Home Ministry said on Thursday that the country is witnessing massive progress in economic activities, especially in rural areas.

Addressing a press conference, Home Ministry (MHA) Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that works related to road construction, brick kilns and cement construction have also started in rural areas.

“Till April 22, more than 1.5 crore workdays have been achieved under the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme,” she said.

The Ministry of Home Affair stated that the State Governments are working for the operation of industrial units in non-hotspot areas as the Central Government has allowed a relaxation of several essential services till 20 April.

“These include food processing units, milk and bread processing factories, flour and pulses mills,” Srivastava said.

She said that areas which are not hotspots or confluence areas, especially in rural areas, should have agricultural and economic work done at such places and therefore, some permission has been given since 20 April.

Talking about the measures taken by the Center to ensure the safety of doctors and health workers in the frontline of coronovirus fight, Srivastava said that states have been asked to give adequate protection to these professionals whether they are working in hospitals, in quarantine centres or going for testing and collecting samples.

It also said that in case of any incident of violence against doctors or health workers, strict action will be taken under the Disaster Management Act and in accordance with the guidelines issued by the MHA to the States and Union Territories.

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