Following the orders of the Home Ministry, the State Government has withdrawn the 7 AM to 8 PM window announced earlier for March 31 to enable inter-district travel in Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that the window for the inter-district travel has been withdrawn as part of measures ordered by the Home Ministry to stall the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The lockdown has to be enforced strictly. This may cause some inconvenience but these measures are in public interest for the containment of the spread of COVID-19, he said. The 7 AM to 1 PM window provided daily for securing essential commodities will continue, he added.

Meanwhile, chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh sent the Home ministry order to all district magistrates, SSPs and other officers concerned for effective implementation. The order states that state governments shall ensure adequate arrangements of temporary shelters and provision of food etc for the poor and needy people, including migrant labourers stranded due to lockdown measures. The migrants who have moved out to reach their home states/home towns, must be kept in the nearest shelter by the state government quarantine facilities after proper screening for a minimum period of 14 days as per standard health protocol. All the employers, be it in the industry or in the shops and commercial establishments, shall make payment of wages to their workers at their work places, on the due date, without any deduction, for the period their establishments are under closure during the lockdown. Where ever the workers, including migrants are living in rented accommodation, the landlords of those properties shall not demand payment of rent for a period of one month. If any landlord is forcing labourers and students to vacate their premises, they will be liable for action under the Disaster Management Act. In case of violation of any of these measures, the state government shall take necessary action under the Act.