G.O.Ms. No.423, COVID-19 Lockdown Extended in Tamil Nadu, 2021

What the notification governed

G.O.Ms. No.423 of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department extended the complete lockdown across Tamil Nadu from 28 June 2021 until 6.00 A.M. on 5 July 2021. Districts were divided into three categories based on active COVID-19 cases, with permitted activities listed separately for each category.

The district categories were:

• Category I: Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Myladuthurai.
• Category II: Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Kanniyakumari, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet, Sivaganga, Theni, Thenkasi, Tirunelveli, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Thoothukudi, Tiruchirappalli, Vellore, Villupuram and Virudhunagar.
• Category III: Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu.

Relevance to property transactions and work

G.O.Ms. No.423 permitted Sub-Registrar Offices to function in all three district categories. It also permitted construction work in every category. The notification does not provide separate procedures for property registration or construction beyond the general COVID-19 controls.

Other property-related services permitted across all categories included:

• Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other listed self-employed service providers, without e-registration, from 6.00 A.M. to 7.00 P.M.
• Private security, facilities management and housekeeping services for residential complexes, without e-registration.
• Hardware shops and shops selling electrical goods, from 9.00 A.M. to 7.00 P.M.
• Goods vehicles and the loading and unloading of goods or cargo.

Operating conditions and enforcement

G.O.Ms. No.423 required permitted shops to provide hand sanitiser and thermal screening at entrances. Workers and customers had to wear masks, shops had to operate without air conditioning, and customer numbers had to be limited for social distancing. Queue markings with sufficient spacing could be placed at shop entrances.

No activities were permitted in containment zones. The Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation and District Collectors were responsible for enforcement and could initiate action to impose fines. Violations could also lead to proceedings under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Indian Penal Code and other applicable legal provisions.