Chaos mars unlocking

THE exit plan from the lockdown earlier this month came as a relief to businessmen. Gasping for breath during the over two-month closure of units and firms necessitated by the coronavirus-induced lockdown, they were eagerly looking to open up and cut any further losses. The government’s Unlock 1.0 guidelines were aimed at the much-needed revival of economy, that had slid in this period at an alarming rate. Alongside, the strict Covid-19 protocol with regard to sealing and quarantine was gradually eased to facilitate the return to normalcy, with some justifiable exceptions, such as containment zones, schools and colleges, besides public gatherings and congregations. However, the ground reality is far from smooth. Confusion prevails regarding the norms. A lack of clarity on what is allowed and what not has been the cause of many an avoidable loss.

Advertisement

The shocking report of a couple of rice mills of Karnal having been denied the benefit of the revised rules is symptomatic of the chaos marring Unlock 1.0. That at the heart of this denial is a blunder at the level of the district authorities is regrettable. Who is responsible for the losses incurred by the mill that was totally sealed for a fortnight following a worker having been detected Covid-positive when, as per the June 11 directive of the government, only the part of the unit in which the affected employee functioned was to be shut? The PM’s emphatic call for ‘unlock, unlock, unlock’ in the wake of rumour mills working overtime in these times of perplexity as the graph of coronavirus cases spirals wildly in the country should be the key factor for the authorities dealing with broken people making a brave effort to bring their derailed lives back on track.

Equally appalling is the state of affairs in Punjab, where a lockdown relief fund scam has surfaced. That even in these times of adversity, the fund of Rs 3,000 meant for the rightful and needy workers should have been unscrupulously transferred multiple times to certain accounts calls for quick and stringent action.