The state government has allowed sporting activities to resume in stadiums sans spectators and fitness enthusiasts to pursue their morning routines in open spaces from Friday, but gyms will continue to remain closed.

More lockdown relaxations were announced on Thursday with the state home, prison and disaster management department issuing a notification that also made it easier for residents to buy items of immediate necessity.

E-commerce sites, which were only permitted to sell essential items during the lockdown, can from now on also sell non-essentials. “Relaxations given earlier shall continue to remain permitted as per the prescribed norms by ministry of home affairs and state government advisories,” the notification added.

Amid the spike in Covid-19 cases, the Jharkhand government has since June 1 unlocked several sectors to try and revive the economy and livelihoods.

But public transport, hotel and hospitality sector, parlours, religious establishments, malls, schools and colleges, public parks are a few key segments which continue to remain closed causing huge resentment among various stakeholders.

While saloon & parlour owners have been regularly holding protests against the state government to demand opening, transport (buses) operators too have now been raising their voice seeking a waiver of road taxes citing derailed business.

Garment traders and show shop owners were allowed to do business only last week, that too after massive protests.

About the demand of bus owners, state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon (Congress) said, “We shall hear out their concerns and take an appropriate call to help them. As far as unlocking is considered, government is strategically taking a call taking into consideration all the aspects.”

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a leading partner in the ruling alliance, has already appealed to the government to consider reopening hotels and the transport sector. In a press release statement, JMM’s general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharjee demanded that the Hemant Soren government to allow their reopening with prescribed safety measures citing a similar move in neighbouring Bihar and West Bengal.

Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) president Kunal Ajmani said, “Hospital sector is the biggest employment generator and we had requested government in the past to quickly allow resumption of hotels so that those coming to Ranchi and state, mainly for medical needs don’t face accommodation problems.”