Some relief for common man! Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal allowed movement of vehicles from April 20

The government has provided some relief to the common man on Wednesday by allowing e-commerce retailers to resume operations from April 20. In a fresh set of guidelines, the government said that vehicles of e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal among others will be allowed with required permissions.

“Vehicles used by ecommerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in the latest directive shared by it regarding relaxations post the announcement of lockdown extension. 

The new directives come a day after prime minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation where he extended the lockdown till May 3. The document, however, mentions that these guidelines will not be applicable in coronavirus hotspot containment zones.

The document states that the supply of essential goods is allowed by all means including ecommerce. 

“All facilities in the supply chains of essential goods, whether involved in manufacturing, wholesale or retail of such goods through local stores, large brick and mortar stores or ecommerce companies should be allowed to operate,” the directive said. 

WATCH | Zee Business encourages everyone to use sanitiser 

कोरोना वायरस से लड़ना है, सैनिटाइजर इस्तेमाल करना है#StayHomeSaveLifes #COVID19 #StayHome  @AnilSinghvi_ pic.twitter.com/lyImUmwf5r

— Zee Business (@ZeeBusiness) April 15, 2020

Some of these platforms have been remained operational during the first phase of the lockdown as well, but services were limited to few parts of the country. The new relaxation might also allow them to deliver additional items of daily use. 

"We welcome MHA’s updated guidelines for the e-commerce sector. At this critical juncture, the e-commerce industry can ensure that citizens stay indoors and all their needs are met through home deliveries with immense precautions. We look forward to serving the nation in protecting both lives and livelihoods," a Snapdeal Spokesperson said.

Other platforms that continue to deliver goods are Grofers, BigBasket, Swiggy and Zomato. 

The nation-wide lockdown is aimed to contain the spread of the pandemic. The total number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in India mounted to 11,439 stated the data published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. Of these, 9,756 are active cases of COVID-19, 1,305 individuals have recovered and discharged from the hospital, one person migrated to another country and 377 people succumbed to the disease.