<p>The government has further relaxed COVID-19 lockdown measures, especially in rural India, by allowing harvesting of bamboo, coconut and functioning of cooperative credit societies as well as permitting tribals to collect and harvest non-timber produce in forest areas.</p>.<p>The order on further relaxations issued by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla came on Thursday, a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued exhaustive guidelines for the extended period of lockdown till May 3, during which it allowed opening up of economic activities but with restrictions.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-india-to-remain-under-lockdown-till-may-3-tally-breaches-10000-mark-toll-at-326-817763.html">Follow live updates on coronavirus</a></p>.<p>Resumption of services can start from April 20, provided the states come up with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in these sectors.</p>.<p>In a further leg up for the plantation sector, the new order allowed the "harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing" of bamboo, coconut, cocoa and spices. This is expected to be a boost for the plantation sector as the April 15 guidelines had already allowed operations of tea, coffee and rubber plantations with a maximum of 50 per cent workers.</p>.<p>The MHA has also now sought to include tribals, who were left out in the first set of guidelines, by allowing them to collect, harvest and process Minor Forest Produce (MFP)/non-timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers.</p>.<p>Expanding the scope of construction activities in rural areas, the order has included water supply and sanitation, laying and erection of power transmission lines and laying of telecom optical fibre and cable along with related activities.</p>.<p>Keeping in mind the demands of financial sector, the MHA also allowed functioning of non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs), including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) and Micro Finance Companies (NBFC--MFIs), with bare minimum staff. It has also now permitted the functioning of Cooperative Credit Societies.</p>.<p>Only RBI, RBI regulated financial markets, banks, ATMs, IT vendors for banking operations, SEBI, capital and debt market services, IRDAI and Insurance companies were allowed to function so far.</p>
<p>The government has further relaxed COVID-19 lockdown measures, especially in rural India, by allowing harvesting of bamboo, coconut and functioning of cooperative credit societies as well as permitting tribals to collect and harvest non-timber produce in forest areas.</p>.<p>The order on further relaxations issued by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla came on Thursday, a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued exhaustive guidelines for the extended period of lockdown till May 3, during which it allowed opening up of economic activities but with restrictions.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-india-to-remain-under-lockdown-till-may-3-tally-breaches-10000-mark-toll-at-326-817763.html">Follow live updates on coronavirus</a></p>.<p>Resumption of services can start from April 20, provided the states come up with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in these sectors.</p>.<p>In a further leg up for the plantation sector, the new order allowed the "harvesting, processing, packaging, sale and marketing" of bamboo, coconut, cocoa and spices. This is expected to be a boost for the plantation sector as the April 15 guidelines had already allowed operations of tea, coffee and rubber plantations with a maximum of 50 per cent workers.</p>.<p>The MHA has also now sought to include tribals, who were left out in the first set of guidelines, by allowing them to collect, harvest and process Minor Forest Produce (MFP)/non-timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers.</p>.<p>Expanding the scope of construction activities in rural areas, the order has included water supply and sanitation, laying and erection of power transmission lines and laying of telecom optical fibre and cable along with related activities.</p>.<p>Keeping in mind the demands of financial sector, the MHA also allowed functioning of non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs), including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) and Micro Finance Companies (NBFC--MFIs), with bare minimum staff. It has also now permitted the functioning of Cooperative Credit Societies.</p>.<p>Only RBI, RBI regulated financial markets, banks, ATMs, IT vendors for banking operations, SEBI, capital and debt market services, IRDAI and Insurance companies were allowed to function so far.</p>
