The Kerala government on Monday released the guidelines for the fourth phase till May 31. Kerala has decided to resume public transport services, including buses and autos, in a restricted manner. Public and private buses have been allowed to resume services, but only within the districts.
Up to 24 passengers will be allowed in a bus at a time. The government has also allowed to raise the minimum charge for buses, but said that the bus charges would not be doubled. At the same time, the state government has promised tax exemptions for bus owners.
For inter-district travel, passes have been made mandatory.
In a cabinet meeting called by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and attended by the state chief secretary, it was also decided to open liquor outlets, special counters at bars, and beer and wine parlours from Wednesday, Manorama News reported.
Tokens to purchase liquor will be issued through a mobile app. The timings for the same will be determined beforehand. The mobile app will enable customers to choose less crowded outlets nearby.
Bevco and Consumerfed has 301 outlets in Kerala. The state also has 316 three-star hotels, 225 four-star hotels, 51 five-star hotels, 11 hotels in the heritage category and 359 Beer and Wine parlours.
The government has also given its nod to reopen barber shops; however, the services should be limited only to hair cuts. On the other hand, beauty parlours will continue to remain closed.
Exams postponed
The Kerala government on Monday decided to conduct the remaining SSLC and Plus Two
state board examinations in June. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held in Thiruvananthapuram.
The examinations, originally scheduled to be completed in March, were postponed due to the coronavirus threat. Monday's decision meant that SSLC examinations scheduled for March 23, 24 and 26, and higher secondary examinations scheduled for March 23, 24, 25 and 26 will be conducted later.
