Chhattisgarh allows opening of shops outside COVID-19 zones

Raipur, May 27 () The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday allowed opening of shops on six days in a week across the state, except those falling in red and containment zones marked on the basis of COVID-19 cases, officials said.

A decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at his official residence here this afternoon, a public relations department official said.

The meeting was called to discuss the post-lockdown measures to curb the COVID-19 spread and strategy to resume economic activities in the state, he said.

The fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown will end on May 31.

The meeting was attended by all cabinet ministers and senior officials.

Shops will be allowed to open six days a week and all precautions, including physical distancing, will have to be strictly followed as before, he said.

Earlier this month, the government had ordered a complete lockdown on weekends - Saturdays and Sundays - in May to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

However, no relaxation has been providedto business activities in red zones and containment areas, he said.

As per the Centres guidelines, restrictions on opening of malls, cinema halls, political meetings and social events will continue, he said.

In the meeting, issues like generating employment opportunities for migrant labourers returning to the state and relief measures for various sections of the society hit by the lockdown were also discussed, he said.

The chief minister also discussed measuresto restart maximum number of industries in the state, he said.

After relaxations were granted during the lockdown, at least 1,371 factories resumed their operations in the state and nearly 1 lakh labourers returned to work there, he said.

Baghel asked officials to draft a list of skilled and semi-skilled labourers and provide it to local industrial units so that they can be accommodated in jobs there, he said.

The chief minister instructed officials to arrange television and radio sets for entertainment of migrant labourers in quarantine centres, he said.

Psychologists will be roped in to counsel people housed in these centres, the official said.

Besides, he asked them to make arrangements for conducting yoga and other motivational activities in institutional quarantine facilities, the official added.

As on May 27, Chhattisgarh has reported a total of 369 coronavirus cases with no deaths. TKP RSY RSY