Trade and industrial bodies in Tamil Nadu have sought the support of the state and the central government to help resume operations with some relaxation to lockdown norms, beginning Monday. The state government, however, indicated that it would follow the Union government guidelines on the lockdown. As per the guidelines of Ministry of Home Affairs, all industrial and commercial activities, barring those specifically permitted, will be prohibited till May 3.
According to the Times of India, in a meeting held on Saturday, between various trade and industrial bodies and the Expert Committee, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) demanded free movement of trucks from April 20. Members also requested the state government to allow migrant workers to engage themselves in an industry of their choosing and for employees to be issued e-passes since passes from district administration were taking time. The members have put forward a few other requests to help resume industrial activities. The committee is expected to present its recommendations to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on April 20 following which the CM will make announcements.
The Expert Committee, headed by Finance Secretary S Krishnan, was formulated to sketch out a phased exit plan. On Saturday, the three more members were added to the team: the Commissioner of Revenue Administration, Director of the National Institute of Epidemiology (Indian Council of Medical Research) and a representative of the Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industries Association (TANSTIA). With this, the committee has 21 members.
Chennai Corporation, on the other hand, has permitted 652 commercial establishments to deliver essential services in the city and added that companies indulged in activities permitted under the Union government order can avail for clearance at the Chennai Corporation website. The applications will be processed and finalised on the same day. The passes obtained thus will be valid until the end of lockdown on May 3. So far, about 5,000 employees from 652 companies have been allowed to venture out in the city.
About 575 sub-registrar offices in the state will begin functioning from April 20, but the number of registrations per day has been capped at 24. Employees and the public visiting the offices have been requested to wear masks and maintain social distancing.