States Should Ensure Essentials Supply in Containment Zones: Consumer Secy

New Delhi: Supplies of essentials and grocery in containment zones needs to be addressed by state and district level authorities, a top government official said.

"Since the containment zone areas are varied and range from individual residential complexes to entire districts, it is advisable that the supplies of daily essentials and grocery be addressed at the local state and district levels. This is because state level authorities are best equipped to understand the complexity of containment zones," secretary of consumer affairs ministry, Pawan Agarwal, said.

The Delhi government has so far identified 43 Covid-19 containment zones, and said home delivery of essentials and visits to a hospital for an emergency are allowed.

In Mumbai, the number of containment zones has increased to over 381 as ecommerce platform Amazon pilots working with local authorities to deliver essentials. Close to 126 containment zones have been identified across Hyderabad and placed under strict lockdown restrictions and quarantine conditions, with the city municipal corporation taking to distributing milk, vegetables and daily essentials.

While different states are adopting different strategies, consumer facing companies said they have been engaging with authorities at the district level to provide essentials.

In a simultaneous development, the government plans to set up a chain of 20 lakh retail shops called Suraksha Stores over the next 45 days to provide daily essentials in coordination with FMCG companies. The exercise will convert neighbourhood kirana stores into sanitised retail outlets, and adhere to social distancing and increased sanitisation.