Amid COVID-19 Jails in Maharashtra is facing overcrowding

By

-

April 29, 2020

Jail, Overcrowding, Coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID, Yerwada Jail, Arthur Jail, Overcrowding Jails — REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

At least 20 jails in Maharashtra are facing overcrowding that could lead to them becoming a possible coronavirus hotspot. Arthur Road jail in the city houses prisoners three times its capacity of 800, while Yerwada jail in Pune has over 6,000 inmates and Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai has over 3,000 inmates.

Amid of lockdown, it’s been almost 55 days since state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh announced that 11,000 prisoners would be released from state prisons, the government still not decided on the advice of a high-powered committee constituted on directions of the Supreme Court to decongest overcrowded jails. According to the summaries of the March 25 meeting of the high-powered committee, apart from under trial prisoners, the advice was to release convicted prisoners, whose maximum punishment is seven years or less. It also recommended release of convicts, except those convicted under special Acts including for money laundering and terror, who are sentenced to over seven years in jails, but have returned to prison at least twice on time, when granted parole or furlough on previous occasions.

Before the March 24 lockdown, there were nearly 36,000 prisoners housed in jails across the state, including undertrials and convicts. Till Tuesday, 4,735 prisoners, most of them undertrials facing a maximum punishment of up to seven years, have been released from 37 jails as per the orders of local courts in each district since March 24. Prisons officials, however, said that with most prisons in ‘red zones’ — COVID-19 hotspots areas — more steps towards decongesting prisons were required. Observing that the “bitter truth is that our prisons are overcrowded, making it difficult for the prisoners to maintain social distancing”, the Supreme Court had last month in a Suo Moto writ petition directed the state governments to constitute a committee for decongestion of prisons. Based on the order, a committee was constituted on March 24.

Prison officials say that decongesting jails will require releasing such convicts as well, who form a major portion of the prison population. An official from the Home Department told media that the changes to the recommendations, including on the point of release of convicts, were being discussed.

Actor Irrfan Khan passes away after battling colon infection in Mumbai

By

Afternoon Voice

-

April 29, 2020

Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan died at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling a rare cancer. He was 53. “Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heavenly abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, “As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it”,” an official statement from the actor’s representative read.

Irrfan was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday for a colon infection. He was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour in 2018. “”I trust, I have surrendered”; These were the some of the many words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen. It’s saddening that this day; we have to bring forward the news of him passing away. Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it,” the statement said.

Khan was last seen on screen in ‘Angrezi Medium’. He was not a part of the film’s promotions owing to his ill health. He was regarded as a fine actor by fans and critics alike having given critically acclaimed films like ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘Paan Singh Tomar’.

Controversy erupted after IRS Official suggesting tax on super-rich to tackle coronavirus crisis

By

Afternoon Voice

-

April 28, 2020

The Central Board of Direct Taxes has rejected a report by Indian Revenue Services (IRS) Officials that suggested to charge tax at 40 per cent to those earning over Rs 1 crore. The report proposed raising the income tax rate to 40 per cent for those earning over Rs 1 crore a year for a limited time period. It also proposed the reintroduction of wealth tax for individuals with a net wealth of Rs 5 crore and the imposition of a one-time COVID-19 cess of 4 per cent on taxable income of over Rs 10 lakh to mobilise revenue in the aftermath of the pandemic.

In an official statement, the CBDT said, “there is some report circulating on social media regarding suggestions by a few IRS officers on tackling COVID-19 situation. It is unequivocally stated that CBDT never asked IRS Association or these officers to prepare such a report.”

The CBDT further said, “No permission was sought by the officers before going public with their personal views and suggestions on official matters, which is a violation of extant Conduct Rules. Necessary inquiry is being initiated in this matter. It is reiterated that the impugned report does not reflect the official views of CBDT/Ministry of Finance in any manner.”

Justifying the 40% tax, the report said that “most high-income earners still have the luxury of working from home, and the wealthy can fall back upon their wealth to cope with the temporary shock. In view of several European economists, taxing the wealthy would be the most “progressive fiscal tool”, as wealth is far more concentrated than income and consumption.” However, the report proposed that such a tax should be levied for a limited period.

The report by IRS officials also suggested that inheritance tax, which was abolished in 1985, should be brought back to reduce the concentration of wealth, widen the tax base and enhance revenue. It further proposed that equalisation levy or ‘Google tax’ should be raised by 1-7 per cent for ad services and 3 per cent from 2 per cent for e-commerce to earn revenue from online services that have flourished during the pandemic. Get live Stock Prices from BSE and NSE and latest NAV, portfolio of Mutual Funds, calculate your tax by Income Tax Calculator, know market’s Top Gainers, Top Losers & Best Equity Funds.

Supriya Sule urges Centre, Maha govt to ease lockdown in phased manner

By

Afternoon Voice

-

April 28, 2020

NCP leader Supriya Sule on Tuesday urged the Centre and the Maharashtra government to initiate together the process of ease the lockdown in a phased manner in areas which are not or less affected by COVID-19, to bring the economy back on track.

Sule, the Lok Sabha member from Baramati in Maharashtra’s Pune district, also said that it is her personal opinion and such a decision should not be taken in a hurry, but by adhering to social distancing norms with military-like discipline.

The current nationwide lockdown, imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, will be in force till May 3.

“To restrict the movement of people is the easy part of the job. The Centre should give some guidelines on how to unlock,” Sule said in her address via Facebook.

“The Centre and the state should start together the process of unlocking in phased manner to bring the economy back on track slowly. You (people) have to work as well as remain safe, she said.

Shopkeepers, industries, small and big businesses have been hit by the lockdown, the NCP leader said, and called for finding a way out to overcome the present situation.

“It is my personal opinion that unlocking begins slowly. Not for entertainment, but to bring the economy back on track by adhering to rules, norms, she said.

The country needs us to work…our problems cannot be addressed if we were to sit inside our homes being afraid (of the situation), she said.

Sule said some countries and states witnessed a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases after the lockdown imposed there was lifted, and Maharashtra must not let such a situation arise when it is unlocked.

“Therefore, we must follow the unlocking plan Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray), Dada (Sule’s cousin and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar) will give us with absolute discipline, like military discipline, she added.

The NCP leader urged people to observe the current lockdown strictly as a disciplined approach only will help unlock the state sooner.

Without naming any opposition party, Sule hit out at them for targeting the government at a time when it is engaged in the fight against coronavirus, and asked them to refrain from playing politics in the face of the common threat.

“Like the chief minister says, we should remain focussed… lets not divert attention. Let those who want to criticise, criticise, she said.

Sule also cautioned people against circulating rumours/fake news on social media.

She suggested the authorities concerned that providing ration kits to the needy is a better option than supplying them cooked meals.

Sule also asked students to use the lockdown period for studying ahead of their examinations, which have been postponed due to the lockdown.

Contactless Dining and Digital Payment demand one the menu

By

Afternoon Voice

-

April 27, 2020

The latest report published by dining out and restaurant tech platform Dineout suggests that now one has to be more aware about new tech such as Contactless Dining and there is an even greater willingness towards digital payments. The Dineout report suggests that 81% of their customers would prefer to scan a QR code on their phone and place an order on an app or web platform instead of handling physical menus or the traditional order placement methods in restaurants. Digital menus are the way forward.

Also, more than 60% of the respondents said they would prefer to pay using digital payment methods, including mobile wallets, instead of handling cash or paying via cards at the restaurant. At the same time, more than 96% of respondents also want better waitlist management, in case you are in a queue to get a table. There should be options to preselect seating as well as the availability of sanitizers at tables.

Ankit Mehrotra, Co-Founder and CEO, Dineout, “It’s long time people have not stepped out and as the lock down called off they would definitely run towards eateries, the demand of digital orders and payments will return rapidly as millions of Indians are craving their favorite dishes, it’s also crucial to make the necessary changes to restore consumer confidence and trust by rapidly evolving the restaurant’s approach to using technology as means to implement Contactless Dining”.

Then there is the small matter of getting to and from a restaurant. Dineout report suggests 85% users would also prefer digital valet services over having to park their cars in public parking spaces, with cleanliness and contamination being primary concerns. Platforms such as Dineout are focusing on hygiene ratings for restaurants, which include ratings in aspects such as hygiene checks, use of gloves by waiters, sanitization of restaurant furniture and the use of UV sanitized utensils. Users can now see certified restaurants and their audit rating on the Dineout app, available for Android phones and the Apple iPhone, as well.

The CEO of Chulha Village, Abhijit Gaikwad said, “Going digital for placing order to selecting payment mode is all fine, but serving food to attending guests would become difficult task, as guests have to pick their orders themselves, they have to pick their plates and any discomfort they would be needing person around, so opting for such options is not bad idea but avoiding persons around is just not possible.”

PM should assure financial stability to self-employed people

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

April 27, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all states to prepare their plan on exiting the lockdown by defining districts as red, green and orange based on the level of infection. He emphasized on no worry on economy front, because the lockdown had saved thousands of lives in the past one and a half months. The PM asked states to draw up a plan to exit the lockdown. Because common public feel that the Lockdown is not a good measure, may be for few days it is fine but on 3 may it will be 40 days over of lockdown in India. America is an economic nation. They know the value of economic and commercial activities. Long-time lockdown hampers the nation. The most loss suffered Is by middle class people. They don’t get any assistance from government. More the lockdown period. More difficult it would be to cope up for general public. All commercial and economic activity should be resumed with rules and regulations. Mask wearing, maintaining social distancing and isolation far as possible should be followed. Only sitting at home with no earnings is not required. People even require money to fight corona virus as well as their lives ahead. BJP gets 1,76,000 crores from RBI to stabilize economy on September 2019, April 2020-BJP gets another 50,000 crores to stabilize economy. So, BJP getting funds from RBI to show India is stable. Actually, speaking its people’s money that is saving BJP government but government has not rendered any support to small time business groups who were back bone of state and national economy. For example, one small cobbler or a beautician, they are fetching their livings and also paying GST to all other taxes to government, without taking any financial obligations. These people are huge in numbers, they earn and save in bank and at the end banks are emptied by governments. Also, these are the people who have suffered huge losses during corona lockdown. Government has no planning for rendering hands to such sectors. No plans for regulating small self-sustaining, business groups and self-employed people. Just by saying Indian economy is fine, how Pm can assure financial stability to these people? Its more than individual states, centre should tell people of India how they are going to render hands to all after lockdown. We should lock down the Corona, not ourselves. Are the doctors and nurses locking themselves down? What about the vegetable vendor? What about police? There are many such entities working 24/7 knowing the threat, but they are taking precautions too. You can ask for Maintain hygiene, wear masks, make sanitizer available at every shop, at every crossing. But having no concrete action plans, except dialogues and quotations will not solve problem of common public. central government’s job is to take care of people who are suffering from day one ever since BJP won elections. May its demonetization or sudden closures of banks and GST and other slabs furthermore the lockdown. Middle class families are suffering from all sides. PM says, our economy is good. Then why the government is passing the economy burden heavily on the salaried class people to fight the Corona pandemic by the way of freezing the DA and deducting one day of salary per month till March 2021. No country in the world has done this so far. Many small businesses are shut due to lockdown. They are unable to afford to pay salaries. They are randomly firing all employees. This is what is happening around and if lockdown continues People will die of starvation.

Almost all small businesses are at risk of collapsing within the next month as they struggle to secure emergency cash meant to support them through the coronavirus lockdown. Those concerns included some banks’ use of personal guarantees in the form of savings and mortgages to secure lending to small businesses under the government’s hastily formulated business interruption loans scheme. After lockdown there will be huge consequences for employment and also our ability to grow the economy when this pandemic has passed. If businesses collapse, they won’t be able to ensure our economy can recover. These small businesses will be lost forever.

India decided to lock down every human being from last 40 days in their home to contain and eliminate this risk of virus transmission. This meant that almost entire production system also got locked down. You need human labour to produce goods and services in factories and establishments and to deliver these to the consumers. Even the most automated plant cannot operate without some labour. India exempted only essential services initially. After three days, realizing that agriculture produce, including food on farms, would turn into waste (rabi harvesting was going on at many places), the government exempted farm work from lockdown. Now the government has permitted non-essential goods to be transported but due to lack of truck drivers and manpower the entire market is stand still. A good chunk of economy is still locked out. Mining is mostly closed. Construction is totally stopped. Most factories which produce automobiles, machinery, consumer durables and so on are shuttered. Millions of small factories and enterprises are non-functional. Almost all of the retail trade, transport, travel and hospitality businesses are down and out. Construction, small businesses and service establishments producing these goods and services employed crores of workers. These workers are suddenly out of job. More than 2/3rd of the production system has either stopped production totally or scaled down substantially. On an average, about 8-9 percent of GDP is produced in a month. GDP is another name for the total national income (aggregate of all household income). As we are growing at about 5% a year currently, a month of closure of 2/3rd of production system is enough to make our GDP growth turn into negative. If workers receive even 50% of this income, loss of wages can be of the order of Rs. 7 to 8 lakh Crore. This loss of wages is a matter of life and death for most of the labour in informal sector. There is no wonder than crores of migrant workers are desperately trying to go back from their places of work to their only safety net- their villages where they might have some land to work upon and shelter to live. The measures to save human lives from COVID-19 epidemic can result into making the economy a casualty- making both the nation and her people poor. If the COVID-19 risk to the economy is not managed properly, India might see crores of people becoming jobless and fall back in poverty.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

RBI announces Rs 50,000-cr special liquidity facility for mutual funds

By

Afternoon Voice

-

April 27, 2020

Last time, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had opened a special borrowing window of Rs 25,000 crore for banks to help meet the cash requirements of mutual funds in July 2013.

Following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, RBI in October 2008 had provided a similar additional liquidity support exclusively for mutual fund industry.

Under the Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds (SLF-MF), the RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate.

“The SLF-MF is on-tap and open-ended, and banks can submit their bids to avail funding on any day from Monday to Friday, the central bank said.

The scheme will be available from Monday itself till May 11, 2020, or up to utilisation of the allocated amount, whichever is earlier.

The Reserve Bank also said it will review the timeline and amount, depending upon market conditions.

The announcement comes days after Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, which has been operating in India for 25 years, decided to shut down Franklin India Low Duration Fund, Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund, Franklin India Credit Risk Fund, Franklin India Short Term Income Plan, Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund and Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund.

The RBI further said funds availed under the SLF-MF should be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of MFs by extending loans, and undertaking outright purchase of and/or repos against the collateral of investment grade corporate bonds, commercial papers, debentures and certificates of deposit held by MFs.

In case of over-subscription of the notified amount on any given day, the central bank said the allotment will be done on pro-rata basis.

“RBI will, however, reserve the right to inject marginally higher amount than the notified amount due to rounding effects,” it said.

The minimum bid amount would be Rs 1 crore and multiples thereof.

Assets under management (AUM) of the Indian MF industry as on March 31, 2020, stood at Rs 22,26,203 crore, as per the Association of Mutual Funds in India.

The total number of accounts (or folios as per mutual fund parlance) as on March 31, 2020, stood at 8.97 crore, while the number of folios under equity, hybrid and solution-oriented schemes, wherein the maximum investment is from retail segment stood at 7.94 crore.

March 2020 was 70th consecutive month witnessing rise in the number of folios.

Is India prepared to exit this lockdown in a rectified manner?

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

April 26, 2020

The government has decided not to extend the relaxation given to shops and establishments from the ongoing lockdown even after it was announced by the Central government. Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra has decided to stick to the current curbs till May 3. The Centre has issued the notification allowing standalone shops in rural and urban areas, but in the absence of a similar notification in Maharashtra, it will not come into effect. It is the prerogative of the state government to decide on the lockdown. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is of the opinion that lifting of restriction may further risk social distancing and lead to a rise in cases. Even if we extend the relaxation and allow stand-alone shops to operate, the police and revenue machinery will be engaged in implementing the lockdown orders to a great extent. Secondly shortfall of raw material and manpower will continue to persist until the lockdown is not lifted completely. Against this backdrop, the state government has decided to continue with the complete lockdown for one more week. But this won’t stop here, looking at the rise in COVID-19 cases, they might even extend lockdown beyond 3rd May, it may be extended by two weeks till May 18 for MMR and Pune where the positive cases are highest.

Meanwhile, the Congress party demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents a national plan to contain coronavirus as per the requirement under the National Disaster Management Act which has been invoked by the Centre to implement measures like lockdown and other restrictions to prevent its further spread. COVID-19 is not going to disappear on May 3, the virus is here to stay, and therefore we have to prepare ourselves and the people to live with the virus. And what is the best strategy whereby India can cope with this pandemic which appears to be unrelenting at the moment. The questions were raised by Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari, who held a press briefing via video conference on Sunday afternoon to raise some other questions like, over testing, alleging it to be very low and sought an explanation from the government on its testing strategy.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly ‘Man Ki Baat’ warned people against complacency in fight against COVID-19 and appealed for continued care and precautions. Prime Minister also said that all sectors of society and business were adjusting to the realities of a post-coronavirus world. He stressed that India, after meeting its requirements, has provided medicines to other countries. But he has not thrown any light on his plans for Indian citizens. A large part of Modi’s address was dedicated to thanking citizens for what he described as an active participation in the fight against COVID-19 and motivating front line workers such as health care staff, sanitation workers and policemen, among others.

Modi said people in the country don’t appear to trust its traditional knowledge — a situation he attributed to the country’s colonial history that he said led to lack of self-confidence. He appealed to the youth to make ayurvedic practices on boosting immunity popular with evidence-based research. The Prime Minister said due to the challenging times, when people are confined to their homes, businesses were adopting new technologies. As usual, his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has all those topics other than what plans he has made for post corona lockdown.

COVID-19 infections are set to cross 3 million mark with 2,00,000 people dead globally. With over 800,000 people recovered, global recovery rates have gone up to 29%. India’s death toll due to COVID-19 has reached 26,496 with 824 people dead nationwide. Canada, US, Germany and Spain along with India seek to loosen lockdown restrictions as economies seek to heal from the devastating blow of the pandemic.

So far there is no medication or vaccine available for the treatment of COVID19, but Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is ready to start plasma therapy for eligible coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients. A patient at Lilavati Hospital has been identified for the first plasma transfusion in Maharashtra, according to sources, and the process is likely to be carried out on Sunday. A plasmapheresis — removal, treatment, and return or exchange of blood plasma — machine has been installed at Nair Hospital. The convalescent plasma therapy aims at using antibodies from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient to treat those infected. The therapy can also be used to immunise those at a high risk of contracting the virus such as health workers, families of patients and other high-risk contracts. Three units of plasma from recovered patients are already collected. Plasma is the almost-clear liquid left behind after red and white blood cells and platelets are removed from the blood. Last week, the state had sought permission from the Centre to start clinical trials of plasma therapy and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Kerala and Delhi have already got permission to conduct the trials.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Maharashtra state may extend the lockdown beyond May 3

By

Afternoon Voice

-

April 26, 2020

Mumbai and Pune Metropolitan region may continue to be under lockdown beyond May 3, can be extended till June. Recently, a head constable with Mumbai police, Chandrakant Ganapat Pendurkar, succumbed to coronavirus. The unfortunate development comes on a day when the state recorded the highest single-day increase in the number of coronavirus infections with 811 new cases. However, a dip in mortality rate is giving the administration some hope. Mumbai and Pune Metropolitan region may continue to be under lockdown well beyond May 3. Maharashtra government officials said with the number of cases in the city and neighboring areas increasing, parts of the state would continue to remain under lockdown at least till June.

State government officials told media, “So far, till now there is no question of lifting the lockdown in Mumbai and Pune MMR region. In fact, with the increasing numbers, there may be a need to tighten restrictions,”. In that case, restrictions on local trains, buses, shops and establishments may continue to remain till at least June.

The rising cases in Mumbai and Pune MMR region are a cause of worry for the Maharashtra government that is looking for an economic revival in the state. With Mumbai and Pune forming the backbone of the state’s economy, it remains to be seen how the state government would chalk out an economic revival plan. Mumbai recorded 4,589 coronavirus cases and on an average is adding close to over 200 cases per day. The Pune Metropolitan region that comprises Pimpri Chinchwad region is also seeing a steady influx of cases. On Thursday, for instance, 104 new positive cases were detected. The Pune administration has already enforced the lockdown more severely and the whole city has been turned into a containment zone. People are allowed to only step out for two hours daily to buy groceries. The central team advised the Pune administration to prepare for quarantine provisions till the end of May.

Meanwhile, Mumbai created 983 containment zones. More than half of these containment zones are in slums which are congested. Other areas in the state are also witnessing an increase in the number of cases. For instance, in Nashik’s Malegaon, there are more than 100 cases till date. In Nagpur, the number of cases has also reached 100. Maharashtra as of Saturday has a total of 7,628 Covid-19 cases including over 300 casualties. Nearly two-thirds of these positive cases are in Mumbai, which now has over 5,000 cases after 602 new infections were registered in the city on Saturday. Over 190 people have died in Maharashtra’s capital. As many as 96 policemen including officers are infected with coronavirus in Maharashtra. 15 of these are officers. A total of 6 policemen have recovered so far.

The shortage of Drivers may lead to price rise in essential commodities

By

Afternoon Voice

-

April 24, 2020

Amid of COVID-19 and continues lockdown, many drivers form Mumbai migrated to their places, and those who are placed various transit camps refuse to resume on duty, due to fear of their life. Right now, there is shortage in carpenters, auto taxi drivers and also the watchman at under construction buildings. Many self-employed small-time shop owners are forced live within four walls, and here come the challenges. There has been a shortage of truck drivers too in Mumbai, whatever work force is available needs to be hired on higher perks. While permitted trucks are allowed to work freely across Maharashtra with proper documentation and guidelines on safety. Some drivers are facing problems due to non-availability of documents and instability. The drivers are hesitating to resume duties. All India Transporters Welfare Association has already urged truck drivers to resume to work so they can earn their living again. Transporters fear that the population of truck drivers could reduce drastically once the nation-wide lockdown is lifted because many are eager to return to their home town. A majority of these truck drivers were on highways when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown on March 22.

Bal Malkit Singh, President – AIMTC and Advisor Shivsena Avjad Vahtuk Sena told Afternoon Voice, “There is a ‘shortage’ of truck drivers. “Whoever is available, has to be paid more to work the trucks running. We are trying to get the drivers back to work but this is again challenging task because these drivers need certain assurances”. We requested the government for Rs 50 lakh insurance for every truck driver who was risking his life and was a frontline worker to deliver the essentials. But this has not been announced”.

Abhishek Gupta of Bombay Goods Transport Association said, “It’s been 15 days some drivers have already gone back to their villages and others are stuck on highways, waiting for the lockdown to be lifted so they can go back home, the transporters have appealed to truck drives to continue work so that the supply of essential goods remains unaffected.”

The All India Motor Transport Congress, which represents nearly 90 lakh truck owners, had earlier written to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to say that essential services should also be provided to these truckers – who could neither reach their place of residence or native place due to the lockdown that was imposed on March 24.

Subsequent rise in the coronavirus cases and the countrywide lockdown, has affected the demand for all staples and necessities that has hit the supply chain obstacle and manufacturers of various goods are struggling to keep leap.