Unshackle them

Unshackle them

Essential supply chains caught in lockdown tangle.

The success of lockdown measures to beat Covid-19 boils down to the availability of essential commodities. Huge supply chain disruptions have occurred since the lockdown announcement, perhaps on account of functionaries lower down the official hierarchy failing to grasp the full spectrum of dos and don’ts in this situation. As a result truckers are stranded on highways and border checkposts and delivery personnel have faced police lathi blows despite Centre’s diktat to keep essential services afloat. Literal interpretations of orders for people to stay indoors led to this pass. Course correction must begin immediately.

Allowing police to discriminate between what goods should or should not move forgets that supply chains are integrated. Police competence is another issue. Supply bottlenecks at manufacturers’ or retailers’ ends will both result in shortfalls. Government must allow the logistics industry full freedom to operate and move their goods, trusting that market dynamics will influence what moves and what doesn’t. Alongside, there needs to be a liberalised and sensitive regime for movement of people in transport and logistics – if their movements are restricted, then goods won’t move either. Many truckers are even abandoning trucks for reasons like non-availability of support infrastructure like dhabas along highways. Delivery personnel at the retail end also need assurances and assistance. Due to the lockdown induced scarcity, prices are shooting up.

Well stocked shops and hassle-free deliveries will have a salutary effect. If people are to remain at home and cooperate during the lockdown, essential goods must be available to them. E-commerce must be enabled, not disabled. Central and state governments as well as local authorities must prevent any kind of harassment of citizens. Panic or resentment forcing people to hit the streets in droves will defeat the social distancing measures undertaken at extraordinary economic and humanitarian cost.