Odisha issues lockdown 2.0 guidelines.

Bhubaneswar : The Odisha government has made several relaxations to kick-start activities in the agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, forest, drinking water and e-commerce sectors during the second phase of the Covid-19 lockdown from April 15.

Pradeep Jena, additional chief secretary and special relief commissioner (SRC) listed several services which will be exempted during the second phase of lockdown in Odisha, which was the first state to extend the lockdown till April 30.

👉E-commerce and online platforms can resume operations in the second phase of the lockdown. So home delivery of all kinds of products and courier services by platforms like Amazon, Flipkart will be allowed.

👉Restaurants can carry out home delivery but cannot allow people to eat inside. Roadside eateries will also be allowed to open and people can get food to eat outside

👉Agriculture and allied activities including harvesting and selling of crops, irrigation, transportation of seeds and agriculture products will be allowed. Farmers can resume activities relating to preparing their fields for the coming Kharif season

👉Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act  (MGNREGA) scheme will continue in the state during the lockdown to ensure livelihood opportunities in rural areas.

👉Construction of rural housing and toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission will be allowed. The panchayati raj department can also facilitate construction and repair of drinking water facilities.

👉Shops and establishments selling agricultural implements, cattle feed, fish feed and food proceeding and packaging can remain open.

👉Procurement of Rabi crop can be resumed and all cold storages and godowns would be allowed to carry out their activities.