Manufacturing to e-commerce: Govt allows industries to resume work from May 3

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government has allowed industries and commercial establishments to resume operations from May 3 in a bid to offset the mounting losses.

The government has formulated Standard Operating Procures (SOP), which allows certain industries and commercial establishment to resume functioning in Jammu and Kashmir.

As per the order, only those industries falling in the non-Covid zones will be allowed to resume functioning

The government as per the order has allowed essential commodities, manufacturing, e-commerce, cold storage, warehouses, private security services, hotels, and homestays to function in Jammu and Kashmir after May 3.

In essential commodities, the government has included basic food processing, packed processed food, pharmaceuticals, agro products, packaging material, cold storages, packaged drinking water, and cotton mask manufacturing units to function.

In manufacturing, transformer repairing units, brick kilns, production units have been allowed to resume operations.

Listing SOPs, the government has stressed for the minimizing commuting by the manufacturing units holders. “All the workers are to be accommodated within the premises or in the adjacent buildings. Boarding, lodging arrangement in and around premises of the units shall be made. Wherever it is not possible to accommodate workers, separate dedicated transport arrangements shall be made for workers,” the order said.

The government has directed the unitholders for maintaining health and hygiene of the workplace by spraying disinfectants and frequent cleaning of common surfaces.

“All areas in the premises including entrance gates, cafeterias, meeting rooms, halls, corridors, lifts, washrooms, toilets, sink water points, and other surfaces shall be disinfected completely,” the order said

“All vehicles and machinery entering the premises should be disinfected by spray mandatorily.  All units shall sanitize their workplaces between shifts. Frequent cleaning of common surfaces and mandatory handwashing shall be ensured,” said the order.

The government has also directed the unit holders to ensure the use of face masks, temperature screening, and prohibition of smoking tobacco and chewing of gutka.

It also directed the unitholders to encourage social distancing by abolishing large gatherings, sitting at 6 feet away from each other, allowing up to 4 persons to use the lifts and disallowing non-essential visitors.

The SOPs also call for medical insurance of employees, identification of nearby COVID-19 hospitals and reducing manpower to one third.

The government also mentioned a detailed procedure to be followed for the operationalization of the units. “Weekly inspections shall be carried out. Pass shall be collected from district administration for inter-district movement. Any unit found violating the compliances shall be liable for strict action and permission to operate the unit shall be withdrawn,” the government said.