Hours after the Centre objected to the dilution of the lockdown protocol in Kerala, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday, 20 April, asserted that "there has been no confrontation between the state government and the Centre" and that "Kerala is following the directions issued by the Centre".
"Barber shops will not be opened and restaurants will only provide online delivery... A decision was taken earlier to open barber shops during the lockdown, but many experts pointed out against it. So the Kerala government is withdrawing the decision," Vijayan was quoted by ANI as saying.
Earlier, the Centre shot off a letter to Kerala government coming down heavily for its decision to allow opening of restaurants, bus travel in cities and opening of MSME industries in urban areas, saying it amounts to dilution of lockdown guidelines and also a Supreme Court observation.
After the Centre's objection, the state government has also decided not to allow plying of buses in cities and pillion riding on two-wheelers, reported PTI. The government has decided to roll back some of the relaxations, with Chief Secretary Tom Jose asserting the Centre and the states "are in this fight (against coronavirus) together".
The decision was taken at a meeting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held with Jose on Monday morning, official sources cited by PTI said.
"A formal order on the restrictions would be issued today itself. Buses would not be allowed to ply, restaurants will remain closed (for dine-in) and only parcel service (take away) would be allowed, and barber shops will also remain shut", the sources told PTI.
State Tourism Minister Cited ‘Misunderstanding’
Earlier, State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran had admitted there was some "misunderstanding" due to which the centre had objected to relaxations.
"We have given relaxations in accordance with the Centre's guidelines. I think there is some misunderstanding, following which the Centre has sought clarification. 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 the media.
In a letter to the Kerala government, the Home Ministry said the state government on 17 April has circulated revised guidelines for lockdown measures which allowed opening of activities prohibited in the Centre’s consolidated revised guidelines issued on 15 April.
The state government had earlier decided to give relaxations in some of the COVID-19 restrictions in Green and Orange B zones. These included allowing private vehicles movement in an odd-even basis and dine-in services at hotels from Monday.
According to PTI, the first day of the relaxations, announced on Sunday, saw scores of people hitting the roads in their four-wheelers and two-wheelers in various parts of the state, including coronavirus hotspots, and large-scale confusion over the effect of the easing of the norms.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)
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