United News of India
New Delhi, Apr 19 : Revisiting it’s April 15 order, the Centre on Sunday said that supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will be banned during the ongoing nationwide lockdown, imposed to curb the spread of Novel Coronavirus.
An order issued on Sunday by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has prohibited the supply of non-essential items by e-companies till May 3
The Government move comes amid reports that many e-commerce firms were gearing up to deliver products like mobile phones and refrigerators to customers in areas that do not fall under COVID-19 hotspots from April 20, as per the guidelines issued by the MHA on April 15.
Many of them had started taking orders for delivery from April 20, the officials said.
Earlier, during the first phase of the lockdown also, the supply of non-essential good were not banned by the Government.
However, in the detailed guidelines issued on April 15, the Centre allowed e-commerce companies to operate from April 20 and following the guidelines by the MHA, many states like Odisha, Maharashtra and Rajasthan had allowed e-commerce operations after April 20 for non-hotpot zones in the country.
The consolidated revised guidelines issued by the MHA on April 15 had exempted the e-commerce companies supplying essential goods from lockdown restrictions and the vehicles used by e-commerce companies, engaged in supply of only essential goods, have been allowed to ply with necessary permissions.
The nationwide lockdown in India, initially meant for a period of 21 days, was extended till May 3, as COVID-19 cases in the country continue to rise.
