Haryana government decided to add more relaxations to the list of those already introduced during the Lockdown 3.0. (File)

As Lockdown 4.0 began Monday, Haryana government decided to add more relaxations to the list of those already introduced during the Lockdown 3.0.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Monday announced that “restrictions in containment zones will continue, while the remaining areas will be considered as orange zones”.

From Tuesday morning, salons, all markets and shops (except for shopping malls, multiplexes) will be allowed to resume their operations. Dine-in facility will not be allowed in the restaurants, but they can open for home-delivery.

Cab services, auto rickshaws with restrictions of a driver plus two passengers have also been allowed. However, these cabs and auto rickshaws will not be allowed inter-district movement and also not in the containment zones. However, in Panchkula the auto-rickshaw operators resumed their operations from Monday afternoon.Based on MHA’s guidelines, Haryana had already lifted the restriction of 50 per cent staff strength in workplaces and industries. “If the establishments, industries ensure that they can maintain social distancing among their workers, they can work with full strength”, Khattar said.

Roadways buses to ply from Delhi

Beginning Tuesday morning, Haryana Roadways buses will resume their operations from Delhi. The passengers will, however, have to purchase tickets online only.

To begin with, the buses will only connect seven districts of the state. The first batch of buses from Delhi for Bhiwani, Sirsa and Kaithal will start from Delhi at 0900 hours. For Ambala cantonment, Palwal and Narnaul at 0930 hours and for Panchkula at 0945 hours. Only 30 passengers per bus shall be allowed initially to maintain the norms of social distancing.

Late on Monday evening, Haryana Transport Department proposed to begin several routes of Haryana Roadways buses and passenger vehicles (cabs) into other states including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

Principal Secretary (Transport), Haryana, wrote to his counterparts in these states seeking their consent to begin inter-state bus operations. However, the consents are still awaited.

The routes on which Haryana proposes to begin inter-state buses between the stations include Faridabad-Aligarh, Gurgaon-Aligarh, Panipat-Bareilli via Muradabad, Gurgaon -Mathura, Gurgaon-Jaipur, Hisar-Ajmer, Karnal-Amritsar, Karnal-Amritsar, Ambala-Panchkula – Shimla, Ambala-Yamunanagar-Dehradun, Gurgaon-Chandigarh, Panchkula-Delhi, and Gurgaon-Gwalior.

Haryana Transport Minister Moolchand Sharma said, “We have proposed several inter-state bus routes and passenger vehicles movement that will be launched Tuesday provided we get the consent from the states where our buses will be going.”

The CM also mentioned that people entering from Delhi into Haryana’s four bordering districts including Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar will only be allowed entry “with e-pass” issued by the state government. Haryana’s Home Minister Anil Vij had Sunday told The Indian Express that the “e-pass shall only be issued to those people who will test negative for coronavirus”.

In his video message released by the state government, Khattar said, “Since Lockdown 4.0 has begun from Monday, thus we have introduced more relaxations in several areas in addition to the relaxations already given during Lockdown 3.0. The restrictions will continue in containment zones, while other areas will be considered as orange zones and various activities will resume, Tuesday onward. Especially transport services including inter-district bus service and also inter-state bus service shall resume”.

More tubewell connections soon

Khattar added, “We have also resumed work to issue tubewell connections for farmers. A meeting was held today.

Approximately 1,000 tubewell connections have already been installed. Till May 30, about 4,000 five-star motor tubewell connections will also be installed. Certain complaints were received regarding residential electricity-tariff bills. To redress people’s grievances regarding electricity bills, we have introduced a helpline no. 1912. People can call at this helpline and get their electricity bills rectified. Even if somebody had deposited inflated bills, the excess amount shall be adjusted in the subsequent electricity bill”.

PPE kits, N95 masks for pvt doctors at govt rates

Haryana government has decided to provide superior quality PPE kits, N-95 masks and hand sanitizers to private doctors as per their requirement at government rates.

Khattar decided this after a meeting with district representatives of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Civil Surgeons through video conferencing, Monday.

It was also decided that Haryana’s private health clinics, nursing homes, and dental clinics would also be included in the special economic package announced by Centre for Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs). Apart from this, if a private doctor gets infected with Covid-19, then his treatment would also be carried out at government expense. “After coronavirus gets over, investment in health services, public health, disease research, etc. would also be increased in the state. We have had to face many challenges while dealing with the corona pandemic, but with the support of all sections of society, we shall soon overcome this crisis,” Khattar said while chairing the meeting.

Emphasising on Arogya Setu app, Khattar added, “This App can prove to be very effective tool in dealing with this pandemic. So far, more than 50 lakh people in the state have downloaded this app. While asking the history of a patient, doctors should also ask patients if they had downloaded the Arogya Setu app or not”.

Health Minister Anij Vij too expressed confidence that with the cooperation of all the private-sector doctors, Haryana will soon become a corona-free state.

HSIIDC to resume camps for industrialists

Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) shall also resume its “Efficient Service Camps” to facilitate industrialists. The concept, which was first launched on March 2 had to be suspended due to Covid-19 lockdown. Anurag Agarwal, MD, HSIIDC, added, “To again initiate discussions with industrialists and to resolve all their grievances on the spot, HSIIDC will again start holding Efficient Service Camps in all Industrial Estates on weekly basis from June 1 onward through video conferencing.”