Chandigarh, March 25

The Punjab Police on Wednesday distributed food to the underprivileged in many parts of the state and also ensured home delivery of essentials to daily wagers and slum dwellers amid a countrywide lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, officials said.

The humane action comes a day after several videos purportedly showing the police personnel slapping and hitting those defying prohibitory orders went viral on social media.

The police personnel organised ‘langars’ (community meal) to feed those who can barely manage a meal without their daily wage, the officials said.

In Amritsar, police made arrangements at Ghah Mandi and Ram Bagh area for distributing food to daily wagers. After making announcements from police vehicle, food was given to the poor while maintaining social distance, said Amritsar Station House Officer Neeraj Kumar.

“We have distributed over 300 packets each of milk and fruit to the needy people. We have a list of people to whom food items will be distributed,” he said.

In Tarn Taran, police distributed chapattis and other items to the poor. At Nakodar in Jalandhar, police with the help of residents distributed ration to 300 households, which included rickshaw pullers, slum dwellers, daily wagers within and on the outskirts of the city, the officials said.

Videos showing police personnel delivering essential items at doorsteps of houses of slum dwellers and daily wagers were also widely circulated on social media.

On Tuesday, police had registered 232 FIRs and arrested 111 people for violating prohibitory orders. — PTI

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 25

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged the Centre and the Maharashtra Government to immediately evacuate 2,000 pilgrims stuck in Nanded Sahib in the wake of countrywide lockdown.

He tweeted in this connection and written letters to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray, a government spokesperson said.

Subsequently, the Maharashtra Government responded with the assurance that action would be taken to help out the stranded pilgrims.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s office conveyed to Chief Minister’s Office, Punjab, that steps were being taken in this respect, while Maharashtra Tourism, Environment and Protocol Minister Aditya Thackeray responded to Captain Amarinder’s tweet that: “Thank you sir @capt_amarinder ji. Will look into it and do the needful.”

As trains were cancelled

and the nationwide lockdown imposed, there is no possibility to bring pilgrims back to Punjab without special approval of the Centre, wrote Capt Amarinder.

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 25

Amid tighter restrictions as part of the anti-Covid curfew, the Punjab Police on Wednesday went into a mission mode to launch innovative and indigenous initiatives across districts to facilitate door-to-door supply of essential goods through strategic tie-ups with Zomato, Swiggy, Verka, Amul, mandi pradhans, chemist associations, etc.

As a result, the door-to-door supply of essential goods like medicines, grocery, eatables had started in many districts in the state, while similar delivery mechanisms were being worked out in others too. Passes were also being issued to authorised vendors for the supply of essential goods, according to DGP Dinkar Gupta, adding that for home delivery of medicines, in particular, necessary tie-ups were being worked out with the respective chemist associations, so that orders could be taken on phone and home delivery was accordingly undertaken.

In Amritsar and Ludhiana cities, 650 persons had been engaged from Swiggy for home delivery of goods, while in Patiala, home delivery of essential commodities was being ensured in coordination with the delivery boys from Zomato and Swiggy.

As many as 100 trolleys containing essential commodities were dispatched across Sangrur district today by engaging the services of local volunteers, said the DGP.

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Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, March 25

To provide essential items on the doorstep, the district administration has issued a list of contact numbers of shopkeepers and traders.

The DC said milkmen could deliver milk at houses between 5 am and 8 am. Cooperative organisations Verka and Amul could supply the same between 5 am and 2 pm. However, they would supply milk only to residents.

The DC added that booked LPG cylinders could be delivered between 10 am and 4 pm. He said the area SDMs had been asked to ensure the supply of vegetables by roping in vendors in their areas.

The DC said arrangements for providing fodder to livestock were being made.

However, people complained of not getting essential items, including dairy products, grocery and vegetables, in their areas.

Meanwhile, devotees faced difficulties in performing rituals on the first day of Navratri and commencement of Vikrami Samvat on Wednesday as all temples were closed during the ongoing curfew. Defying the curfew orders, some devotees were seen paying obeisance in front of the closed doors of temples.

61 booked for violating curfew restrictions

The city police on Wednesday booked 61 persons for violating curfew restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Police Commissioner Sukchain Singh Gill said during this period most of the residents in the city stayed indoors.

The Police Commissioner said those who did not follow instructions were booked for violating the curfew. Gill asked residents to cooperate with the police in fighting the coronavirus.

The Police Commissioner warned anti-social elements against sharing rumours or fake news on social media. He said strict action would be taken against them.

Police distribute food items to needy

• In collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the city police distributed food items at different slum areas amid curfew here on Wednesday. The Commissioner of Police, Sukhchain Singh Gill, said the police and the administration was committed to provide aid to the needy people , who are following the guidelines of government and staying inside their houses.
• Today, a team led by Gagan Ajeet Sing, DCP Security and Operations, distributed food packets to 50 families in LIG flats at Maqboolpura with the help of a NGO. Mangal Singh, ACP South, organised the langar with the help of a social organisation. Jatinder Singh, ACP Special Branch, distributed food packets in shanties near Rigo Bridge.

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 25

The government on Wednesday sent an advisory to all private security agency companies asking them to consider their staff “on duty”, as a humane gesture for the next 21days of countrywide lockdown and do not cut their salaries for the period.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which will be monitoring the lockdown on a daily basis, said India is facing an “unprecedented situation arising out of COVID-19 pandemic” and the agencies are likely to be impacted in the coming days due to closure of shops, malls, and establishments.

Accepting that the pandemic has affected economic activity, MHA urged the agencies to exercise empathy with its workforce.

“This is the time for the private security industry to adopt a humane approach and protect its workers and staff members from lay-offs and consequent decrease in earnings. I would, therefore, urge the industry for empathy with its workforce, vital to its functioning and ensure that these workers continue to be treated on duty and paid accordingly,” the MHA said in the advisory.

The advisory has also been communicated to the industry bodies like CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM and others.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the country to combat the outbreak.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 25

Former Home Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram today urged everyone to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stay-at-home call, saying the PM was the commander and people foot soldiers in the fight against Covid.

“PM’s announcement for a nationwide 21-day lockdown is a watershed moment in the battle against Covid-19. We should put behind us the debates that took place before March 24 and look upon the nationwide lockdown as the beginning of a new battle in which the people are the foot soldiers and the Prime Minister is the Commander. We owe a duty to extend our total support to the Prime Minister, the Central and state governments,” Chidambaram said.

He suggested a 10-point plan to ease stress on the marginalised who would be the worst hit in the lock down period. The plan, he said, was intended to put cash and food in the hands of the poor and vulnerable.

The ex-minister suggested that farmers’ income be doubled under PM-KISAN to Rs 12,000 and transferred to bank accounts. “Bring tenant farmers under PM-KISAN. Give registered MGNREGA workers Rs 3,000,” he said.

For the urban poor, Chidambaram said Jan Dhan accounts with urban branches of banks must be transferred with Rs 6,000 each. “Offer to every ration card holder 10 kg of rice or wheat for free as a one-time measure for the next 21 days. Arrange for home delivery,” he said.

The Congress leader also asked the government to guarantee reimbursement to employers who ensure wages to people amid lockdown.

Further, the former minister sought instructions to banks to extend the date for EMI payment until June 30 and cut GST rates by 5 per cent on all wage goods, essential goods and services, and all goods of mass consumption also until June 30.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said NYAY scheme was the need of the hour.

New Delhi, March 25

The home ministry on Wednesday issued fresh guidelines covering additional people and services who will be exempted from the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the new guidelines, the ministry said Reserve Bank of India and RBI-regulated financial markets, pay and accounts officers and field officers of the CAG, petroleum products and supply chain and forest staff are exempted from the purview of the lockdown.

Read: Curfew: Punjab issues fresh guidelines on supplies, movement control

Those people handling cargo operations in airports and railway stations, coal mining activities, officers and staff of resident commissioners based in Delhi and customs clearance at ports, airports and land borders are also exempted.

Forest offices staff and workers required to operate and maintain zoo, nurseries, wildlife, fire fighting in forests, watering plantations, patrolling and their necessary transport movement, social welfare department staff for operations of homes for children, disabled, senior citizens, destitute women, widows, observation homes and pensions service are also exempted, the guidelines said.

The lockdown was announced by the prime minister on Tuesday in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

After Modi’s announcement, the home ministry on Tuesday night issued some guidelines for enforcement of the nationwide lockdown.

The guidelines listed several services, including government and private offices, that will be out of bounds during the period, while exempting establishments such as hospitals, ration shops, dairies, banks, insurance offices, and print and electronic media.

Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce has also been exempted from the purview of the lockdown.

“All enforcing authorities to note that these strict restrictions fundamentally relate to movement of people, but not to that of essential goods,” the guidelines issued on Tuesday said.

In Wednesday’s guidelines, veterinary hospitals, pharmacies (including Jan Aushadhi Kendra) and pharmaceutical research laboratories, IT vendor for banking operations, banking correspondent and ATM operations and cash management agencies were exempted.

Shops for seeds and pesticides data and call centre for government, manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceutical, medical devices, their raw material and intermediates, coal and mineral production, transportation, supply of explosives and activities incidental to mining operations were exempted from the 21-day lockdown.

Manufacturing units of packaging material for food items, drugs, pharmaceutical and medical devices, inter-state movement of goods/cargo for inland and exports, cross land border movement of essential goods including petroleum products and LPG, food products, medical supplies were also exempted.

The guidelines on Tuesday said all educational, training, research, coaching institutions etc., shall remain closed, places of worship shall remain closed. No religious congregations will be permitted, without any exception.

“All social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions gatherings shall be barred,” they said. — PTI