G.O. (Ms.) No. 174, COVID-19 Agricultural Exceptions, 2020
The Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Disaster Management Wing, issued G.O. (Ms.) No. 174 on 28 March 2020 to amend G.O. (Ms.) No. 172, dated 25 March 2020. It adds COVID-19 restriction exceptions for farming, agricultural markets and procurement, essential agricultural shops, manufacturing and packaging of farm inputs, and movement of agricultural machinery. G.O. (Ms.) No. 172 had superseded G.O. Ms. No. 152 of the Health and Family Welfare Department.
What the notification does
The Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Disaster Management Wing, issued G.O. (Ms.) No. 174 on 28 March 2020. It amends the statewide COVID-19 measures in G.O. (Ms.) No. 172, which came into force on 25 March 2020 for 21 days.
The notification reconciles the Tamil Nadu restrictions with an addendum issued by the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. Its purpose is to permit specified agricultural and related activities during the restriction period.
Agricultural activities covered
G.O. (Ms.) No. 174 adds the following activities to the exceptions:
- Procurement of agricultural products by agencies, including minimum support price operations.
- Mandis operated by Agricultural Produce Market Committees.
- Farming operations carried out by farmers and farm workers in the field.
- Custom Hiring Centres connected with farm machinery.
- Manufacturing and packaging units for fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.
- Movement within Tamil Nadu and between states of harvesting and sowing machines, including combined harvesters and other agricultural or horticultural implements.
The Tamil text accompanying the notification also states that restrictions are removed for agricultural procurement bodies, market committee mandis, fertilizer shops, farming and farm labour, agricultural machinery rental centres, farm input manufacturing and packaging, and movement of agricultural and horticultural machinery.
Shops and home delivery
G.O. (Ms.) No. 174 replaces an existing shop exception. Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, milk, meat, fish and animal fodder may operate under the exception. This includes ration shops connected with the Public Distribution System and Food Corporation of India operations, as well as shops selling seeds, pesticides and fertilizers.
District authorities may encourage and facilitate home delivery to reduce the movement of people outside their homes.
Who is affected
G.O. (Ms.) No. 174 directly concerns farmers, farm workers, agricultural procurement agencies, Agricultural Produce Market Committees, agricultural machinery hiring centres, farm input shops and manufacturers, and operators transporting agricultural or horticultural machinery. District authorities are responsible for facilitating the listed exceptions while continuing the wider COVID-19 control measures.
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Common questions
Could farmers and farm workers continue field work under G.O. (Ms.) No. 174?
Yes. Farming operations by farmers and farm workers in the field were added as an exception to the COVID-19 restrictions.
Were fertilizer, seed and pesticide shops allowed to operate?
Yes. The shop exception includes shops selling seeds, pesticides and fertilizers, along with specified food and essential goods shops.
Could agricultural machinery move between states?
Yes. The notification permits movement within a state and between states of harvesting and sowing machines, combined harvesters, and other agricultural or horticultural implements.
Did G.O. (Ms.) No. 174 allow agricultural markets and procurement?
Yes. It adds agricultural product procurement agencies, including minimum support price operations, and mandis operated by Agricultural Produce Market Committees to the exceptions.
