One list of essential goods for all states

NEW DELHI: The Centre is in the process of issuing a comprehensive, indicative list of what constitutes essential commodities and services to all states and union territories to iron out supply chain disruptions caused by the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, an official who serves on an interministerial team overlooking coordination with states said, requesting not to be quoted.

The list aims to bring interstate parity of what constitutes essentials, the official said. The list of essential items and transportation norms have been found to vary across states, which tends to clog supplies and spark shortages, the official added.

Currently, all states have exempted transportation of medical supplies, food, pharmaceutical raw materials, including for masks and sanitisers, and petroleum products from the lockdown, the official explained.

However, a review meeting with states showed that some are regulating transportation of supplies according to their own norms which are being enforced by district collectors or magitrates. The review found “bottlenecks” in inter-state coordination. For instance, a state that doesn’t recognise a particular item as an essential item may not allow entry of the item originating in another state.

“To streamline these bottlenecks, an indicative list of essential items and services will be sent out to states. The transport ministry will also take steps to bring uniformity in land transportation norms,” the official said. The government is looking to amend rules to the Essential Commodities Act to streamline supplies.

The list is likely to contain about two dozen “primary goods and articles” which refers mainly to unprocessed agricultural and food items. Coastal and fish consuming states will be urged to allow movement of fish, currently highly regulated in eastern states. The list will also include categories of semi-processed and fully processed items because food processing industry already has been categorised as essential.