The government extended the nationwide lockdown for another two weeks with effect from May 4 to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic .

The extension guideline permitted considerable relaxations in the districts falling in the green and orange zones.

Industry chambers on Friday demanded a stimulus package to speed up revival.

Chandrajit Banerjee, director-general, CII, said “The guidelines are well considered in the light of the current situation of the Covid-19 incidence. The relaxation given to many industrial activities including industrial establishments in urban areas such as special economic zones, industrial estates and industrial townships with access control within the red zone with restrictions, is absolutely in line with what the CII had been asking for it.”

“With restricted economic activities, the imperative for a quick and forceful economic support package for industry is even more compelling now. The CII has suggested instituting a government spending package equivalent to 3 per cent of GDP which would add Rs 6 lakh crore to the available firepower. Enhanced debt to GDP ratio can be a way out for adding fiscal space at a time the debt to GDP ratio is modest in India,” Banerjee added.

“Our efforts have yielded results. In the red zones, private offices can operate with up to 33 per cent strength as per requirement, with the remaining working from home,” Ajay Sahai, director- general of exporter body Fieo said.

“The government's strategy to build on the gains in the form of the containment of coronavirus is understandable and must be supported, but the 40-day lockdown has resulted into a massive economic disruption,” Deepak Sood secretary-general of Assocham said.

“The fixed costs, such as wages, electricity, rentals, communication are hard to meet even as the operational losses are inevitable. Such a dire state of affairs demands a large sized fiscal stimulus even if it requires monetisation of fiscal deficit by direct lending by the RBI to the government,” he said.