Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 4
The Centre is worried that exemptions to ensure farmers do not suffer from any adverse fallout of the nationwide lockdown are not percolating to field agencies.
Lockdown Blues
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Govt has announced more relaxations for the sector
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These include shops of agri machinery, spares and repair
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Truck repair shops on highways and tea industry, including plantation
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Harvesting can be delayed till April 20, farmers told
Home Minister Amit Shah is monitoring this aspect on which depends the future of farmers and agriculture, say sources. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the fourth addendum to its notification, invoking the Disaster Management Act as per which shops of agricultural machinery, its spares (including supply chain) and repairs and shops for truck repairs on highways, preferably at fuel pumps, can remain open to facilitate transportation of farm produce. Besides, the tea industry, including plantations, can function with a maximum of 50 per cent workers.
The ministry says it is the responsibility of the head of the organisation or an establishment to ensure the practice of social distancing norms and proper hygiene.
The government advisory on precautions for harvesting and threshing of rabi crops and post-harvest, storage and marketing of farm produce also says farmers may delay wheat harvesting till April 20 without incurring any significant losses.
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