Delhi Launches E-Passes For Delivery Of Essentials, Grocery In Lockdown

For the easy movement of delivery partners within Delhi and in neighbouring Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, the Delhi state government is now issuing an electronic curfew pass (e-pass) for the 21-day lockdown period for the coronavirus pandemic.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in an address earlier today that the state is prepared for delivery and supply of essentials. Delivery partners can apply for passes on WhatsApp via an authorised mobile number of the district magistrate which is available on the website of the revenue department.

Individuals can also apply for these passes by email. They can share their credentials at [email protected] along with relevant documents of identity and the essential service as the case may be, the Delhi government has said.

Once the request is accepted by the authorities, the Delhi government will send these e-passes through WhatsApp or via e-mail. These passes will be valid for all days until the lockdown period ends. According to Delhi Police, 2400 e-passes have been issued until 11 AM today (March 25).

Will E-passes Bring Back Ecommerce Deliveries?

With the announcement of the curfew in many states, delivery-partners of many ecommerce platforms have reported instances where they have been stoped and beaten up by the law enforcement agencies.

Some of these delivery-partners of BigBasket and Grofers were delivering groceries, which falls under the list of essential items by the central government. But the law-enforcement agencies, citing lockdown, didn’t allow these delivery-partners to complete the deliveries, thereby forcing BigBasket and Grofers to cancel lakhs of orders.

Speaking to Inc42, a Grofers spokesman has previously said, “ We are noticing some misunderstanding on the ground level with respect to the implementation of instructions covered in the central government directive.”

But with the e-passes, it is expected that police officials might not come in between the deliveries of essential items to the public. While this concept has been initiated in Delhi, more states are expected to follow similar solutions to continue the delivery of essential items such as household staples, health care, and personal safety products.

Previously, individuals had to visit the offices of deputy commissioners of police (DCP) and district magistrates to get physical curfew passes. But now with the launch of e-passes, the burden on these offices is expected to reduce. Moreover, the initiative also comes on lines of the social distancing practice which is said to be effective to fight the battle against coronavirus.