Rajasthan Lockdown: All govt, private offices to start functioning with full strength from June 1

The Rajasthan government on Sunday allowed full attendance in government and private sectors but continued the ban on opening religious places, hotels, and malls in the next phase of the lockdown, starting on June 1 and lasting till June 30. In its fresh guidelines issued at the end of the fourth phase of lockdown, the state government also allowed private and commercial transport vehicles to carry passengers up to their full capacity, but no more.

The Ashok Gehlot government also allowed interstate and intrastate operation of buses, while providing that the buses would ply within the state only on permitted routes and outside containment zones. The city buses, however, were yet not allowed to ply.

The guidelines said there would be no restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of people and goods and no separate pass, permission, approval, or permit would be required for that. Government offices will start functioning with full capacity from June 1, said the new guidelines.

During the last phase of lockdown, full-strength functioning was allowed only for government departments dealing with important and essential work in red zones and full strength of officers and 50 per cent of staffers for other government offices with remaining officials working from home. Private offices too have been permitted to operate with up to full strength but they may encourage “work from home” practice to the extent possible, the guidelines said. All religious places, hotels, restaurants, hospitality services, and eating places, except the already permitted home delivery and take away services, shall remain closed for public. The movement of individuals for all non-essential activities shall remain strictly prohibited between 9 pm to 5 am across the state.

Only essential activities will be allowed in containment area where cases have been detected in recent past, the guidelines said while allowing no relaxation within the containment, hotspots, or curfew-bound areas.   All shops, already opened, will continue to operate while ensuring strict implementation of the lockdown and ant-corona provisions, like observing social distancing and wearing face masks.   Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeeva Swarup said the prolonged lockdown, with gradual relaxations, has helped contain the community spread of COVID-19 and save thousands of lives. The threat from virus, however, still continues, he cautioned. “These guidelines are based on the principal of cautious resumption of normalcy through adequate precautions and safety measures at work and public places,” Swarup said in the order.

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