Companies closed during lockdown will have to pay employees: UP CM Adityanath

After reports of mass migrations, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has asked all industrial units and brick kilns to commence operations with migrants workers if they have adequate provisions to accommodate them safely within the premises as the coronavirus epidemic continues to spread in the country.

Also Read: 106 new COVID-19 positive cases, 6 deaths in last 24 hours

Punjab CM's office said that banks will remain open in on March 30 and 31 to facilitate financial transactions amid the ongoing curfew. However, from April 3, the bank branches will open for two days a week only on a rotation basis, the CM's office informed.

The Punjab government has constituted four committees to deal with the management and administrative effort to fight COVID-19 in the state. The committees being constituted include health sector response and procurement, lockdown implementation, media and food and agriculture.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ordered industries to give salaries to their employees even if they have been shut due to countrywide due to the coronavirus outbreak.

"The companies, which have been closed during the lockdown period, will have to pay their employees salary," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, adding, "I request the house owners to not take rent from their tenants who are poor or are daily wage labourers." 

"Electricity and water will not be disconnected even if people are not able to pay their bills," the UP chief minister said.

"The government will ensure that everyone gets food, drinking water and medicine no matter where he or she is from."

"The officials need to take care of the daily and economic needs of workers from other states so that they do not feel the need to flee to their respective states," the chief minister added.