Mobile recharge shops are allowed to operate: MHA tells states

The home ministry has clarified that recharge facilities for prepaid phone numbers are allowed to function according to the relaxed guidelines issued for lockdown.

In a letter to chief secretaries of States, dated April 21, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, said that public utilities including recharge facilities for prepaid mobile connection are allowed to operate with standard operating procedure for social distancing.

The move will benefit around 450 million feature phone users who do not have access to internet connection or digital recharge facilities.

To aid such users telecom companies Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have increased the prepaid validity of their low-income subscribers till May 3, the date when lockdown 2.0 is supposed to end.