There is no word yet on when more people will be coming to work. (File)
Maharashtra has re-issued a detailed guidelines sent by the Centre to be followed in government offices for the staff, which includes mandatory thermal screening, use of sanitisers and social distancing. The guidelines made it clear that maximum use should still be made of online systems, e-filing, to minimize social contact.
Most government offices in the state -- which has the largest number of coronavirus cases -- have been functioning with a vastly reduced workforce. In Green Zones, which have no cases of coronavirus, around 33 per cent people are attending office. The percentage of people in red zones, which have the maximum number of cases, can be as low as 5 per cent.
There is no word yet on when more people will be coming to work. But In his monthly address Mann ki Baat today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the need to exercise more caution as the economy opened up. "A large part of economy has opened up and it is time to be more careful," the Prime Minister said.
The Maharashtra government is yet to announce what relaxations it plans to allow starting June 1.
Yesterday evening, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had a 40-minute meeting to draw up a blueprint of the way forward for the state.
Sources said they have decided to allow industries and ecommerce including non-essentials outside containment zones, even in Mumbai and Pune.
Yesterday - a day before the current phase of lockdown was scheduled to end -- the Centre extended the nationwide lockdown till June 30 with a phased plan for unlocking the country.
While markets have opened and transport -- rail, road ad air -- have restarted, from June 8, malls, hotels, restaurants and places of worship can open, except in areas with the most number of coronavirus cases.
All activities banned earlier will open up in phases, the home ministry said in the new guidelines.