The Union housing and urban affairs ministry will form protocols for urban services, including metro and urban missions, even as there is no clarity over resumption of these services.
The decision was taken at a review meeting of urban missions, chaired by minister of state for urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, on Tuesday. The meeting comes as the government mulls extension of lockdown in hotspots and easing norms in other zones.
To contain the spread of covid-19, which has infected more than 31,000 people and claimed over a thousand lives in India, urban public transport services like metros have been shut since March. The government has given certain relaxations to the agriculture and manufacturing sector during the lockdown, which is in place till 3 May.
The flagship missions under the ministry include Smart Cities Mission, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transport (AMRUT) and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
‘This was a review meeting of the missions under the ministry. The urban services secretary was asked to prepare protocols for services like metros for whenever they open. The minister also asked for protocols to be prepared for the missions under the ministry and how they will operate following social distancing norms,’ an official said.
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