Can states dilute Lockdown 4.0 guidelines? No, says Home Ministry

Inside the red and orange zones, containment and buffer zones will be identified by the district administration and local urban bodies.

The Home Ministry said on Monday that state or Union Territory can not dilute the guidelines issued for the fourth phase of nationwide lockdown that will continue till May 31.

In a communication to the chief secretaries of the states and Union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the guidelines for the fourth phase of the lockdown were issued after taking the views of the states, following a video-conference held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chief ministers on May 11.

"As emphasised in my earlier letters, I would like to reiterate again that States and Union Territories cannot dilute restrictions imposed vide the aforesaid guidelines issued by MHA. States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may prohibit certain other activities in various zones, or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary."

"I would urge you to ensure compliance of the new guidelines and direct all concerned authorities for their strict implementation," Bhalla said in his letter to the chief secretaries on Sunday night," the letter read.

Bhalla said under the new guidelines effective from Monday, the states and Union territories will categorise "red", "orange" and "green" zones taking into consideration the revised guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

Inside the red and orange zones, containment and buffer zones will be identified by the district administration and local urban bodies with technical inputs at the local level and by taking into consideration the health ministry guidelines.

E-tailers prepare to deliver non-essentials; seek clarity on guidelines

Industry players as well as several consumer organisations have been requesting the government for expansion of the list of essential products.

E-commerce companies are gearing up to start shipping non-essential items to customers in orange and green zones from Monday. However, sales could be impacted as metros and other cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Pune have been classified under red zones.

According to industry executives, e-commerce companies like Amazon India and Walmart-backed Flipkart have been engaging closely with sellers to help them prepare for starting shipment of non-essential products as the third phase of lockdown comes into effect from May 4.

On Friday, the home ministry had announced a two-week extension of lockdown but said there would be certain relaxations for orange and green zones.

Under the latest rules, e-commerce activities in red zones, which cover large cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad are permitted only for essential goods during the third phase of lockdown that ends on May 17.

A senior industry executive, who did not wish to be named, said states including Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have also notified their guidelines for online commerce platforms that are similar to those issued by the Centre.

The executive said e-commerce companies that follow the marketplace model (like Amazon India, Flipkart and Snapdeal) could face some challenge as many of their sellers are either located or have their warehouses in red zones.

The home ministry guidelines remain unclear on operations of these marketplace sellers of non-essential products, who are in red zones. So, they are dependent on how local authorities issue their guidelines, he said.