Gandhinagar, March 24 (IANS): The Gujarat Education Department here on Tuesday ordered promotion of all students of Class I to IX, and XIth to the next class following the Covid-19 epidemic.

"All the students -- from Classes I to IX, and XIth -- shall be elevated to the next standards due to the present situation because of Covid-19 epidemic," said Ashwani Kumar, Secretary at the Gujarat Chief Minister's Office.

It has come as a huge relief to all students and their parents who were anxious about their examinations.

Kumar said following the lockdown announcement on Monday, all teachers were barred from attending schools and offices.

"The government has decided to go for the bare minimum governance, as we are opting for as little physical proximity of people as possible. In all the government departments and offices, if the administration can do away with 10 per cent of the staff for functioning, it should be done," Kumar said.

"We are also ensuring that there is no shortage of essential commodities, like milk, bread, fruits and vegetables. People need not panic and start stocking as no inconvenience will be caused.

"Of the 1,600 Amul parlors across the state, more than 1,000 are in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara. We are assessing and ensuring adequate milk supply," said Kumar.

A special task force, comprising the Food and Civil Supplies Secretary, the MD of the Civil Supplies Corporation, the Registrar of Cooperatives, the APMC Director, will review the situation everyday at 12 noon.

"To strengthen the system, the district civil supply officers have been named nodal officer for the district," Kumar said.

"Around 17,000 fair price shops (FPSs) are providing essential commodities in the state. The FPS owners have assured us to supply the goods to the public, keeping in mind the Covid-19 safety guidelines," said Mohammed Shahid, Food and Civil Supplies Secretary.