G.O. (Ms) No.391

The Revenue and Disaster Management (DM-IV) Department issued G.O. (Ms) No.391, dated 29 May 2021, to extend the complete COVID-19 lockdown throughout Tamil Nadu until 6.00 A.M. on 7 June 2021. Issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, it allowed only specified activities between 6.00 A.M. on 31 May 2021 and 6.00 A.M. on 7 June 2021.

Scope and effect

G.O. (Ms) No.391 applied across Tamil Nadu during the stated lockdown period. No activities were permitted in containment zones, including activities otherwise allowed elsewhere under the order.

The Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation and the District Collectors were directed to enforce COVID-19 requirements, including face masks, hand hygiene, social distancing, workplace screening, sanitisation and the applicable standard operating procedures.

Who was affected

G.O. (Ms) No.391 affected residents, travellers, businesses, industries, construction sites, government offices and service providers. It restricted general activity while allowing essential services and certain industrial, transport and welfare operations.

Individuals could travel between districts or states for medical emergencies and funerals or last rites with e-registration. Travel within a district for those purposes was allowed without e-registration. Travel between a residence and an airport or railway station required e-registration details, tickets and identity proof.

Key permitted activities

G.O. (Ms) No.391 permitted the following activities, subject to its conditions:

• Medical shops, veterinary pharmacies, pet feed shops, milk and water supply, and newspaper distribution.
• Mobile sale and home delivery of vegetables, fruits and provisions during the stated hours.
• Public Distribution Shops from 8.00 A.M. to 12.00 Noon.
• Petrol and diesel bunks, LPG supply, specified parcel food services and e-commerce services.
• Essential infrastructure, banking with one-third staff, medical services, agriculture, animal husbandry, goods transport, warehousing and cargo handling.
• Ongoing construction where workers stayed within the construction premises.
• Continuous process industries and industries manufacturing essential commodities, subject to existing safety measures.
• Certain export units and vendor units with 50 per cent of workers, except in the districts specifically excluded by the order.

Permitted industries had to arrange worker transport in four-wheel vehicles with e-registration and initiate action to vaccinate all employees within one month.

Relevance to property and construction

G.O. (Ms) No.391 did not change land ownership, registration or planning rules. Its direct property-related effect was that ongoing construction could continue only where workers stayed at the construction premises during the specified lockdown period.

Violations could lead to proceedings under Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and other applicable legal provisions.