Kerala govt denies dilution of lockdown guidelines

The Kerala government on Monday said there was some "misunderstanding", due to which the Centre had objected to dilution of the lockdown protocol after the state had allowed opening of restaurants and MSME industries in municipal areas among others. The Union Home Ministry has taken strong objection to Kerala government's decision to allow opening of restaurants, bus travel in cities and opening of MSME industries in municipal areas, saying it amounts to dilution of its lockdown guidelines.

In a letter to the Kerala government, the Home Ministry said the state government on April 17 has circulated revised guidelines for lockdown measures which allowed opening of activities which are prohibited in the Centre's consolidated revised guidelines issued on April 15. State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran denied there was dilution of the lockdown guidelines. "We have given relaxations in accordancewith the Centre's guidelines. I think there is some misunderstanding,based on which the Centre has sought an explanation. Once we give an explanation, it will all be sorted out. The Centre and the state have the same stand with regard to fight the pandemic. There is no contradiction in the stand taken. It's just a misunderstanding we will clear it," Surendran told mediapersons.

He also said the lockdown and easing the protocol was a new thing for the state and the country and the state government will clear the doubts in a few hours. The additional activities allowed by the government of Kerala, include opening of local workshops, barber shops, restaurants, book stores, MSMEs in municipal limits, bus travel in cities and towns for shorter distance, two passengers in the back seat of four-wheelers and pillion riding on scooters. Hundreds ventured into the streets on Monday after the state government diluted the lockdown protocol.