Online Delivery Services Are Allowed In Delhi For Essential Goods During India Lockdown

On Friday, Delhi Police issued an order that approves delivery for essential products including groceries, food, and medicines, in the city during the India lockdown.

Many e-commerce companies, as well as food delivery services, have been complaining that they were not allowed to move on the streets since the 21-day lockdown was imposed by PM Narendra Modi.

Yesterday, police commissioner S N Shrivastava issued an order that complies with the guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The ministry has said that while India needs a full lockdown, supplies of essential goods must be allowed.

This order has since been forwarded to every senior official and now, they will follow the ministry’s standard operating procedure.

Previously, on Wednesday, Delhi Police said after a meeting with e-commerce firms that it will allow food and grocery delivery during the 21-day lockdown. But on Thursday, an order from the Delhi police commissioner stopped e-commerce companies from restarting their services. However, the order also said that the police would revise guidelines for e-commerce firms.

Under the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs, a store can keep opening if it sells groceries, meat, vegetables, animal fodder, dairy products, seeds, as well as pesticides. The order additionally allowed for the delivery of medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and food.

The Delhi police said that it will follow the orders and the shipment of essential products won’t be restricted. Besides, as the productions of such goods are in different cities, the police will also allow for inter-state and inter-city transport.

According to the standard operating procedure, the police aren’t allowed to shutter warehouses that store non-essential goods.

Meanwhile, retailers are only allowed to handle essential goods and authorities will audit their records. And employees working with such goods must have ID proof and e-pass, which are given by the government.

Online companies can deploy minimum staff for goods delivery and must check their health, give them protective gear.

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