Center Begins Unlock Phase 1, But States in a Bind as Many Want Lockdown Restrictions to Continue

The Center has begun the process of unlocking India but that may not mean that people across the country will be able to go back to life as it existed before March 24 when lockdown 1.0 was announced. While state governments like Karnataka and Goa will be cheering the opening up of hospitality sector as their chief ministers had demanded, states like Punjab and Madhya Pradesh have gone ahead and extended the lockdown. Madhya Pradesh has extended restrictions till June 15 while Punjab has extended it till the end of June.

The extension means that sectors like hotels and hospitality, though allowed by the Centre, won’t open up in Punjab. The Hotel Association of Amritsar had protested on Friday demanding measures to help hoteliers.

The Ministry of Home affairs in its latest set of guidelines has divided opening up into three phases. In phase one, places of worship, hotels, restaurants and even malls have been permitted to open from June 8. In phase 2, schools, colleges and educational institutions will be permitted. This will come into effect in July. In phase three, the call will be taken on metro travel and international flights, swimming pools, gyms, etc.

But West Bengal in violation of MHA directions has allowed places of worship to open from June 1 itself. A top MHA officer when asked about Bengal’s decision said, “They will have to revise their guidelines. States can’t violate MHA guidelines.”

Kerala has expressed reservation about opening up places of worship. The Maharashtra government too is worried about footfalls if temples like Siddhi Vinayak are opened. Maharashtra, as per officials, had requested for opening up of local trains at least for those who are involved in providing essential services. While MHA guidelines put no restriction on local train travels, metro is on the restricted list till phase three.

The Delhi government’s demand for opening up malls has been met but surprisingly Delhi has not allowed salons and barbers in the last two weeks even though MHA guidelines allowed it in lockdown 4.

The MHA has also lifted all restrictions on number of employees in offices. But in the absence of metro not functioning and social distancing norms being enforced in buses, this is a challenge for states. There may not be enough public transport available for employees to reach workplace.

Another problem area is inter-state travel. While MHA guidelines say, “There shall be no restrictions on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods. No separate permission/approval/e-permit will be required for such movements.” It adds that a state for reasons of public health can regulate movement of people. This could mean people wanting to travel between Delhi and Haryana might continue to face problems.

Central government functionaries were of the opinion that there can be no going back on the decision to open up the economy. Hence, rising numbers have not had a reflection on decision to unlock India. However, officials did say it is important to ensure stricter measures in containment zones.