Hyderabad, May 18 (IANS): The Telangana government on Monday extended the lockdown till May 31 but announced many relaxations from Tuesday including re-opening of shops, saloons, offices, factories, and plying of RTC buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws.

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) will operate buses across the state from Tuesday. However, city services will not be operated in Hyderabad and similarly there will be no inter-state services. There will be no metro rail services in Hyderabad.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao announced after the state cabinet meeting that auto rickshaws and taxis can also ply across the state including in Hyderabad. Driver plus two passengers will be allowed in an auto-rickshaw while driver plus three passengers will be permitted in a taxi.

Declaring the entire state except containment zones as a green zone, the Chief Minister said all shops can open on alternate basis. Hair saloons can also reopen.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, said all government and private offices can function with 100 per cent employees while following the social distancing and other precautions.

He announced that all industries, factories and manufacturing units can re-open.

He, however, said night curfew will continue in the state till May 31. The lockdown was to end on May 27 but the cabinet decided to extend it by four days.

KCR said places of worship, educational institutions, function halls, shopping malls and cinema halls will remain closed. Similarly, bars, pubs, clubs, stadia, gyms, swimming pools, parks and amusement parks will not be allowed to re-open.

The Chief Minister appealed to people to compulsorily wear face masks to avoid Rs 1,000 fine, abide by social distancing and take all precautions to check the spread of Covid-19. He said people should avoid unnecessarily coming on roads as any further spread could force the government to again impose total lockdown.