India has announced some easing of lockdown restrictions, beginning April 20, to restart manufacturing and farming activity in rural areas to ease the suffering of millions of poor people. India's Home ministry issued guidelines today that will also permit construction of roads and buildings in the rural areas. The inter-state transport of goods, essential and non-essential, will be allowed. The lockdown has restricted people to their homes for all but essential trips to places like markets or pharmacies. The new guidelines said that coal, mineral and oil production will also be allowed and manufacture of information technology hardware and of essential goods and packaging can resume.-AP

Source: The Standard April 15, 2020 06:45 UTC