Rules Misinterpreted, No Action Against CEOs If Employee Virus +ve: Centre

The Union government Thursday said no legal action will be taken against the CEO of a company, nor a factory will be sealed, in case an employee tests positive for COVID-19.

The government also said the consolidated revised guidelines for the lockdown should not be misused by anyone to harass the management of any manufacturing or commercial establishments.

In a letter to the chief secretaries of all states and union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said some apprehensions, based on wrong interpretation of the guidelines, have been raised in the media and by some companies having manufacturing facilities.

"I would like to clarify that there is no such clause in the consolidated revised guidelines and therefore there is no basis for such misplaced apprehensions," Mr Bhalla said in his letter.

The consolidated revised guidelines were issued on April 15, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3.

PM Modi had also said certain industrial activities would be allowed in some areas after April 20. The guidelines specified the details of such exempted activities and associated terms and conditions.

Certain quarters of industry including exporters have raised concerns over the penal provisions in the guidelines, saying they leave scope for harassment by authorities, due to which manufacturing units may not start operations, even with minimum workforce.

The union home secretary's communication to the states and UTs came hours after he along with secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Guruprasad Mohapatra talked to industry associations to allay their apprehensions about the guidelines.

Mr Bhalla said in the communication it is important that all workplaces take measures to ensure social distancing and follow standard health protocols as notified by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease.

Accordingly, appropriate safeguards at workplaces have been prescribed in the national directives and SOPs in this regard.