Don’t close food processing units, allow interstate goods movement including e-commerce: Centre tells states

NEW DELHI: The central government has directed states not to obstruct or call for the closure of food processing units, and maintain uninterrupted supply during the nationwide lockdown brought on by the Covid-19 virus outbreak.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has given “clear instructions” to state authorities to ensure interstate movement of goods for the food processing industry, especially for e-commerce units.

Workers, operators and transport vehicles are to be given due permissions to ensure operational viability and maintain uninterrupted supply of food products.

“Clear advisory to ensure interstate movement of goods for the food processing industry to ensure uninterrupted movement and supply of goods and services; specifically for e-commerce, food processing, delivery boys and movement of trucks,” DPIIT secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra said in a letter dated March 23 to the chief secretaries of all states.

The move comes after reports of local administration and police stopping staff of e-commerce and other grocery retailers, thereby hindering supplies.

A number of online retailers have also sought the government’s intervention to continue supplies including door-to-door delivery.

As per the advisory, all retail/grocery, cash and carry, and wholesale units, chemists/pharmacies, should be allowed to remain open.


To ensure that consumer items are readily available, all food processing companies should be allowed to keep their manufacturing facilities open under the “strictest of safety and hygiene guidelines”.

“Any exclusive order or Section 144 restrictions should include the exemption of these manufacturing facilities, distribution and sales channels servicing the food and beverages market, including food delivery services as also employees associated with such activities,” Mohapatra said in the letter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a three-week nationwide lockdown starting midnight Tuesday, explaining that it was the only way of breaking the infection cycle of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In order to prevent panic buying and avoid inconvenience, the DPIIT also advised states to allow all retail/ grocery, cash and carry and wholesale units, chemists/pharmacies to remain open.

It also said that workers and operators at retail outlets, pharmacies and manufacturing units be allowed to travel to their units.

Transport vehicles carrying raw materials, intermediates to and from the food processing units are to be given due permission and this has to be explicitly included in the local administration orders to avoid any confusion, the letter stated.