The Tamil Nadu government has issued guidelines pertaining to resuming economic and commercial activities in the construction and IT sectors, as well as the Special Economic Zones (SEZ).
Standalone shops, sellers of construction hardware, and those offering servicing of electronic gadgets, such as mobile phones, within the jurisdiction of Greater Chennai Police, have been allowed to resume operations, albeit with certain restrictions in place. These restrictions pertain to manpower as well as duration of work/transaction.
The information technology (IT) and information technology-enabled services (ITES) companies have been allowed to resume work, provided only 10 per cent of the workforce come to work. That is, only 20 people can be seen at the workplace, and these employees will only travel in transport provided by their companies.
In the SEZ, export units have been allowed to operate with 25 per cent workforce strength, that is, with a min. of 20 persons. Again, the export units / organisations will have to make arrangements for these workers to be transported to their workplaces.
Construction activities employing ‘in situ’ labourers and bringing workers from outside on a one-time basis, have been allowed to resume. In addition, road works by government and public-sector undertakings have also been resumed.
Restaurants offering take-away food can operate from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., while self-employed workers will require to get necessary permission from the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation or the respective district collectors.
For areas that lie outside the jurisdiction of Greater Chennai Police, the state government has permitted the IT and ITES firms, as well as export units and SEZ to work with up to 50 per cent workforce. All industrial activities have been stalled in the rural areas, except textiles in the villages and town panchayat areas. No commercial activity is allowed in containment zones.
Guidelines have been issued, to follow health protocols while resuming industrial and other activities, such as 14-day self-isolation or home quarantine with paid leave, for those with symptoms, such as cough, cold or fever.
All industrial premises will have to be disinfected and employees will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing. All toilets will have to be cleaned regularly, and hand hygiene has been made part of the standard operating procedure.
