Tamil Nadu offers extension of three months on payment of property tax

Amidst the corona virus lockdown, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami extended the deadline for several loans and other payments to be paid appropriately by a quarter.

Chennai: To provide relief amid the COVID-19 lockdown, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami noted in his address that property tax payments, water charges, agricultural loan installment to cooperatives, housing loan installment to cooperatives, Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Loan fisheries and hand loom cooperative society’s installments can be postponed by 3 months.

The government has also offered to extend the deadline for loan repayment to Tamil Nadu Industrial InvestmentCorporation (TIIC) and from StateIndustries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) then payment of maintenance expenses to units working in SIPCOT industrial undertakings.

According to Edappadi K. Palaniswami, a separate fund of INR 200 crore will be activated to finance the urgent requirements to run micro, small and medium sized units.

The extension also includes renewal of driving license and period of obtaining fitness certificate for vehicles till June 30, 2020.

Appointment of COVID-19 Marshal to oversee the measures at the construction site New Delhi

As construction work resumes, each construction site in New Delhi will have a COVID-19 marshal to ensure that hygiene measures are properly followed and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in labor protection camps has been provided with sufficient supplies.

As the Ministry of Infrastructure wants to start construction work in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and rural centers in three extended lockdown, the Center has issued guidelines that make it mandatory for every laborer to conduct a health check-up and it is necessary to stay. 

Every guideline has been chalked out for every construction site. According to sources, there will be a Nodal Officer or COVID Marshal at each work site who will be in charge for all health, sanitation and hygiene measures.

It will be necessary to tell every worker whether they come in contact with COVID-19 positive case and other health related details.

Then all the workers, including the worker workers, will be left at the work site for a fortnight. No workers will be allowed to leave the labor camp after completing the quarantine.

Soap and sanitizer dispensers will stall at the entry and exit points of the main construction site. The government has banned all tobacco products from work sites.

All workers will be provided with face masks, tissues, goggles and gloves. In charge of the cleanliness and cleanliness of those areas, coveralls will be given. All construction materials entering the site will be left incomplete for three days.

Weekly doctors will visit every construction site. In the event of a laborer developing a cough, cold, or other symptoms, an isolation facility will also be built at the work site.

What are the important precautions need to take care after lockdown?

As we make our way into normal life, there are still things we need to be cautious about. We still need to do our best to stay safe and protect ourselves, as well as the people around us.

We can no longer be careless and as things return to normal, they are far from it. But we cannot stop life; we need to bring back our regular routine, but keeping safety and our health in mind. Here are some precautions you need to do now –

1.  Wear a mask when you are out of the house. Even if it is going for a walk inside your construction society, you should wear a mask.

2.  Avoid social gatherings. It is very enticing to catch all the people you missed during the lockdown, but do not meet in groups. Try to catch as much as possible through a phone call or video call.

3.  Build and carry a safety kit. Like a first aid kit, a safety kit should have basics such as:-

• A face cover - This will help prevent you from touching your face when you exit.
•  Hand Sanitizer - This should be handy when you are going out or otherwise.
•  Hand Soap - If you are going out and have a soap bar in place, it is better to use your own soap.
•  Gloves - This is required when you are touching high contact surfaces such as lift buttons, ATMs etc.
•  Toilet seat sanitizer and tissue paper - If you are using the toilet at work or anywhere, you will need to keep both of these items with you.
•  Tissue - If you have a cold or allergic cough / sneeze, be on the safe side and cover your mouth with a tissue every time you cough. You need to throw the tissue in the bin as soon as possible.

4.  Do not take a shared ride in a cab or auto. Sit on the back seat and place your mask exclusively in the cab.

5.  Try and spend less time on the roads, especially if you do not have your own transport. Talk to your company to find out if you can travel during non-peak hours.

6.  If you are using public transport such as rail, metros and buses, use gloves when you are sitting on the railings and transacting money. Use an e-wallet and pass to avoid touching as much money as possible. If you can't avoid it, use the sanitizer as soon as you do.

7.  Avoid crowded lifts, take the stairs or wait for the next lift. If you are using stairs or escalators, do not touch the railing.

8.  At work, make sure you have tissue on your table and a sanitizer. As you work, wipe your desk, mouse, keyboard, and screen with a sanitizer or alcohol rub.

9.  Make sure that there is enough distance between you and your colleague when you are at your work center. There should be a minimum distance of 6 feet between you and the next person.

10.  If you need to have meetings, try calling them, especially if it is for a group of more than 5 people.

11.  Reduce the amount of paper you use, send documents digitally and have an e-signature. This will cut down on the amount of paper you come in contact with.

12.  If you have your meal at the office, make sure to at least carry your cutlery. Avoid using shared cutlery.

13.  When you return house, wash your hands immediately. If possible, take a shower as soon as you get house.

14.  At house, keep your house clean and hygienic regularly.

15.  When possible, get professionals to visit and consecrate your house, apartment building, and workplace. This needs to be done regularly until the number of cases is zero.

STAY HOME, STAY SAFE, STAY ALIVE

How Credit Cards Can Help Tenants During Coronavirus Epidemic

More and more people are adopting digital payments to pay rent to their landlords. And while paying digitally, credit card is the best option as it not only gives reward points but also free credit period.

The nationwide lockdown has required a lot of lifestyle changes for many of us and has shown us our ability to adapt to change. It has initiated some very welcome steps in our day-to-day lives and has changed traditional ways of doing things.

Let us look at the change that has come to the real estate industry in a few days. The changes that industry giants envisioned will only happen in the distant future. For example, we have come a long way from the time when a trip to a physical property was mandatory to finalize an asset. Today there are many customers who have finalized a property for rent through a video walkthrough!

The most sensational aspect of the change is the payment of rent through credit card. But the current situation required customers to move faster in the process. Rent is the biggest monthly expense for most of us these days. And while paying rent through credit cards helps us win a lot of reward points and cannot be stressed enough at this point, Indian consumers have been slow to catch the trend. However, three factors have catalyzed the adoption of this method - a buffer period offering credit card payments, fear or inability to handle cash payments, and, unfortunately, fear of layoffs. 

Many state governments have urged landlords not to take rent from tenants for the months of March-May 2020 as the epidemic has affected the livelihoods of many people. But it cannot be enforced, and it is up to individual landlords to pay a three-month rent or postpone it or take out the middle ground.

There has been a sudden increase in the number of people availing the service of paying rent through credit cards. Credit cards offer a much needed buffer period or flexibility for tenants to make payments. This ensures that rent is paid to the landlords on time and the tenants do not have to face liquidity crisis. They get a free loan period of about 45 days.

Most customers do not want to conduct any cash transactions for fear of infection with notes. Furthermore, the lockdown has ensured that no one can physically move out of their homes. This is why more and more people are adopting digital payments to pay rent to their landlords. And while paying digitally, credit card is the best option as it not only gives reward points but also free credit period.

We are going through difficult times and many companies are unsure whether they will have to let go to keep employees away because the current situation has a huge business impact. Paying rent through credit cards matters a lot in such a scenario, as the current crisis is temporary, and it makes sense to have additional liquidity until more clarity comes. Until things return to normal, and the state of the economy improves, it is prudent to take advantage of liquidity that digitization has opened up.

It is worth seeing the silver layer with the clouds of darkness. The way the infection has occurred may not be the best, the cause of the infection may be the worst ever but it has helped the Indian people take a giant leap. The epidemic has set the pace more disciplined and a more efficient way of closing transactions. Once the situation gets better and we hope that it will be real soon, then we will enter a more efficient, a more digitally equipped era and it will only be for our benefit.

India Increase Returns Office for Life Increase COVID-19 Lockdown

The Ministry of Home Affairs has circulated new guidelines for Work From Office (WHO), making social distinction mandatory in the fields. Businesses prepare to work with the new normal.

India Increase will need to reorganize most of its office locations once the lockdown is dealt with large-scale behavior and physical relocation on the card.

Businesses set to follow social disturbances, implement shift-based work, go virtual with meetings, upgrade frequent cleaning systems and redefine offices for provision of hand sanitize, biometric removal.

Many companies are integrating new norms with better employee safety as their focus. Optimizing the use of office space is no longer a mandate.

A roster-based system of attendance, scattered mealtimes, ample space between workspaces, no gathering in common areas. Some companies are going to the extent of not allowing outside visitors as possible within the office premises.

Some companies are offering real-time guidance to employees as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop in India. Only a few employees, who perform essential services, remain on site in our offices. Most companies are of the opinion that they will only call employees working on important projects and the rest of the employees may continue to work from home for a few more weeks in the interest of safety.

STAY HOME, STAY SAFE, STAY ALIVE