When YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy proposed at a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that lockdown be restricted to red and orange zones and that industrial sector should be allowed to resume work, sceptics mocked at him.
There was a heavy criticism from various sections, more particularly Telugu Desam Party leaders, when Jagan proposed that wheels of economy should be continued to run, if not at a high speed, but at least to the extent of meeting the basic needs of the people and allowing the government to implement its welfare and developmental programmes.
In fact, Jagan was only the second CM after Mamata Banerjee to pitch for revival of industries during the lockdown period. But the TDP leaders described him as an inexperienced leader having no concern for the lives of the people.
But according to the reports coming from Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be impressed with Jagan’s idea of reviving the industrial sector, if not restricting the lockdown only to red and orange zones.
The department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) on Sunday recommended to the Centre to permit over 15 types of industries to start their work with minimum manpower and distancing norms on a single shift basis. And Modi is most likely to make an announcement to this effect on Monday night.
The industries which the government is likely to allow include those involved in manufacturing of heavy electrical items like transformers and circuit vehicles, telecom equipment and components including optic fiber cable, compressor and condenser units, steel and ferrous alloy mills, spinning and ginning mills, power looms, and defence and defence ancillary units.
Cement plants, however, can run in three shifts as cement production is a continuous process. Pulp and paper units can resume their production in clusters where Covid-19 cases are low based on the data by the state authorities.
Fertiliser plants, paints and dyes manufacturing, all types of food and beverages, seeds processing units, plastic manufacturing units, automotive units, gems and jewellery sector units, all units in Special Economic Zones and Export Oriented Units have also been exempted from nationwide lockdown measures.
The government issued the instructions in view of maintaining a supply chain of essential goods for the welfare of during the lockdown period.
