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Tribune News Service
Patiala/Bathinda, March 24

Punjab Police on Tuesday punished those violating the curfew in the state, which has been enforced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

In videos that have emerged from different parts of Punjab, police can be seen wielding lathis or forcing violators to do sit-ups or crawl on the road to discourage them from venturing outside.

Bathinda police punished the violators at Ghorewala chowk.

In Patiala, despite repeated reminders to people to stay indoors, residents continued to roam on the roads, following which police personnel used mild force to ensure a complete ban on public gatherings.

Senior officials said that the police officers have been doing rounds in colonies and residential areas to ensure that there are no gatherings.

“The whole purpose is defeated if people continue to come out and meet outside their houses. It is a virus spread and we can take no chances as this time is vital to save lives,” said Patiala SSP Mandeep Sidhu.

Earlier in the day, milk, newspaper and vegetable supplies were hit as authorities failed to take any decision on the movement of these commodities. However, senior officials said that a decision to this effect will be taken by evening so that essential supplies are not hit.

Chandigarh, March 23

After the Council of Ministers, led by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, on Monday announced to contribute one-month salary to the CM’s Relief Fund, the state IAS officers have decided to contribute their one day salary towards the fund for battling coronavirus.

The IPS, PCS and PPS officers of the state too have announced to donate a day’s salary for the welfare of police personnel involved in combating the virus. An official said all ministers would contribute one-month salary on account of donation towards “Coronavirus Disaster Management and Relief Fund”.

The CM Relief Fund would be utilised to help those whose livelihood was affected as a result of lockdown. DGP Dinkar Gupta said Rs 33.2 lakh would be collected as all IPS and PCS officers had volunteered to contribute a day’s salary to the Police Welfare Fund for welfare of the police personnel battling coronavirus pandemic across the state. — TNS

mritsar, March 23

In its attempt to help the health authorities fight against Covid, the SGPC has offered the premises of the Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Amritsar) and inns for accommodating suspected patients.

Gobind Singh Longowal, SGPC president, said special isolation wards would be set up in the Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Amritsar and a dedicated team of doctors would be deployed to attend to Covid patients.

“Inns can be used to accommodate persons under quarantine. We have already tied up with health officials under whose guidance services will be offered. We have also decided to offer langar at places instructed by the district administration,” he said.

The SGPC has already started sanitising areas in and around the Golden Temple, inns and offices. It intends to suspend its Budget meeting. — TNS

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 23

With Covid-19 pandemic virtually covering the entire globe today and progressing rapidly in India, the government deepened national lockdown asking states to punish curfew violators, deciding to suspend domestic passenger flights from Tuesday midnight and adjourning both Houses of Parliament sine die after transacting urgent financial business.

COUNT : 471, Discharged: 34, Deaths: 09

Nineteen states had declared blanket lockdowns by Monday evening to break the chain of Covid-19 virus transmission and reduce viral impact.

Read also: 

• Punjab 1st to declare curfew
• HP under complete lockdown
• Haryana to seal borders
• Parliament adjourned sine die
• Stick to lockdown

Six states are under partial curfew and three have declared activity-based restrictions. As of Monday evening, 82 districts in 23 states had reported Covid-19 confirmed cases or death.

On the medical management front, the ICMR, India’s apex medical research body, approved the use of anti-malarial drug hydroxy-chloroquine for the protection of two categories of high risk people — healthcare workers caring for Covid-confirmed cases and household care givers of patients. The drug can, however, only be administered under medical supervision. The ICMR also approved 12 private labs for Covid-19 testing and two Indian manufacturers of test kits that would not need to get kits validated from US FDA to start detection of cases.

Overall, the government maintained focus on effective social distancing, hoping the measure would delay the onset of community transmission of the virus—a stage that’s inevitable given the behaviour of the virus in other nations. In a message to CMs, PM Narendra Modi today advocated strict compliance of protocols and laws on infectious disease management.

“Even now, people are not taking the lockdown seriously. Please honour government directives, protect yourselves and protect your families. I urge states to enforce compliance of protocols and laws,” PM lamented, following which Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba in a video meeting with state chief secretaries asked them to authorise district magistrates, SPs, police and municipal commissioners to take action to enforce lockdowns.

The pandemic, meanwhile, spread to 186 countries with 2,94,110 cases and 12, 994 deaths worldwide. India confirmed 424 cases, up from 396 on Sunday and the government said deaths were stagnant at seven; this despite reports of two fresh suspected Covid deaths across India. The Health Ministry, however, attributed the death of a Filipino in Mumbai to renal complications although he had tested positive for Covid.

New Delhi, March 24

Protesters against the citizenship law at Shaheen Bagh were vacated by Delhi Police amid coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday morning, officials said.

The women agitators have been on a sit-in at Shaheen Bagh for over three months, protesting the newly amended Citizenship Act.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) R P Meena said people at the protest venue in Shaheen Bagh were requested to vacate the site as lockdown has been imposed due to coronavirus outbreak.

However, when they refused action was taken and they were vacated, the official said. PTI

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Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 23

Himachal Pradesh will be on complete lockdown till further orders.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced this in the state Assembly on Monday.

This leads to halting of inter-state and intra-state public and private transport, air flights and trains barring essential services.

Thakur said there was no cause for panic and this is being done as a precautionary measure.

The government had ordered lockdown of Kangra district on Sunday where two positive cases of coronavirus had been reported. They are undergoing treatment at Tanda Medical College in Kangra.

The Chief Minister has announced a package of Rs 500 crore to ensure that 1.50 lakh daily wage workers get wages and pensioners three-month pension in advance in view of lockdown.

Also people will be given two months subsidised ration at fair price shops under PDS.

The Assembly met on Monday after a weeklong break and will be adjourned sine die after passing of the budget.

All ministers, legislators, bureaucrats and Vidhan Sabha staff were seen wearing masks.

Private vehicles can ply only in case of medical emergency and for availing of essential services. All shops, commercial establishments, factories, workshops and godowns will remain closed.

Hospitals, shops selling groceries, milk, bread, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and medicine besides petrol pumps and LPG and oil agencies will remain open.

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Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, March 23

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said all districts of the state will go under a lockdown from Tuesday morning. On Sunday, seven districts of the state had been put under lockdown. Interstate borders will also be sealed.

The restrictions will continue till March 31, and may be extended if required.

Addressing a ‘digital press conference’, Khattar appreciated people’s cooperation in the “Janata Curfew” on Sunday.

He said no public transport, including buses, taxis, and autos will operate. Only emergency transport will be allowed for hospitals, etc.

All commercial establishments will also remain shut.

As per the latest COVID-19 update, there are 14 positive cases in Harayna.

Total persons put under surveillance 8,322; persons currently under surveillance 7,705; persons completing surveillance 617; persons currently hospitalised 73; samples sent for testing 312; negative tests 227; results awaited 73.

The CM said all people arriving from abroad were required to home quarantine for at 14 days. The period may be extended by local authorities.

He urged people to stay indoors, and come out only is required for for urgent purposes, besides maintaining social distance.

During the lockdown, essential services to be maintained and allowed would be electricity, water, civic, bank, ATM, all forms of media, telecom, BPOs, postal, essential commodity supply chains, farming-related movement, and food movement.

Home deliveries will also continue.

Shops, businesses and establishments such as hospitals, chemists, face mask and sanitiser producers, petrol and LPG dealers will be allowed to work.

Private establishments working in connection with coronavirus control will also work.

Sec 144 of the CrPC had been imposed in the state, and gathering of 5 or more persons will not be allowed.

Resident Welfare Associations will ensure maintainance of social distancing.

The Chief Minister also announced the setting up of the Haryana Corona Relief Fund, with a personal contribution of Rs 5 lakh. All MLAs will also donate one month’s salary.

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 23

With people not following the lockdown orders in Punjab ‘properly’, the state government has imposed a curfew till March 31.

Even as he appealed to the people to voluntarily adhere to the curfew imposed to tackle the prevailing coronavirus outbreak, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday warned of strict action against any violation of the curfew imposed “in the larger interest of the state”.

In a video message address to the people of Punjab, the chief minister said he was forced to take this extreme step “in the interest of the state, and in the interest of all of you”, as he had received reports that people were moving around normally in towns, mohallas and cities despite the lockdown that became effective this morning.

A Punjab government spokesperson said, “After reviewing the situation with the Chief Secretary and DGP, the CM has announced full curfew with no relaxations. The DCs have been asked to issue orders accordingly. Any person required to be given relaxation will be so allowed specifically for a given period and purpose.”

Punjab is the first state to pass such orders. The stringent orders were necessitated with fears that the virus may infect many people after reports said some persons contracted the infection at Hola Mohalla celebrations in Anandpur Sahib earlier this month, despite directions against holding such gatherings.

A top government functionary said curfew was the only means to keep people indoors.

Senior officials in the government said there was a complete ban on movement, which came into effect immediately. Deputy commissioners in each district had been authorised to issue passes, which would be time specific and destination specific. Only those with the passes would be allowed to move around.

Even for essential services, including doctors, chemists, and daily goods shops, it was mandatory to apply for permission, and only thereafter could they run their operations.

RELIEF MEASURES

The Chief Minister announced relief measures to support the affected people as a result of the restrictions. These included free food, shelter and medicines for those in need, with Rs 20 cr sanctioned out of the CM’s Relief Fund and  DCs and SDMs asked to extend assistance to those in need. The Chief Minister also announced deferment of payment of electricity, sewerage and water bills in the state.

The government had earlier initiated legal action against violators of home quarantine. “All measures being taken are for the larger good of everyone. While I am happy that everyone is cooperating, I will not let a few threaten the safety measures being taken against Covid,” the Chief Minister earlier tweeted.

Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh said the amnesty scheme on property tax had been extended till May 31, 2020. The date for payment of all those domestic, commercial and small power industrial consumers having monthly/bimonthly electricity bills upto Rs 10,000, which falls on or after March 20, has been extended up to April 15, 2020. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has been asked not to recover the late payment surcharge from these nearly 35 lakh consumers.

The Transport Department will extend the due date of all taxes under the Punjab Motor Vehicle Taxation Act by one month up to April 30, 2020. Stage and contract carriage vehicles would be given 100% exemption from the Motor Vehicle Tax for the period in which these are not allowed to ply.

For the farmers, the Cooperation Department has decided to waive for two months (March-April 2020) penal interest on their crop, which is obtained by them from Central Coop Banks & Primary Agriculture Co-op Societies. These farmers can now repay their crop loans till April 30, 2020.

The Social Security Department will release pensions amounting to Rs 150 crore for the month of March 2020 immediately. The government has already released social security pensions to the individual accounts of all beneficiaries up to February 2020.

The Labour Department has already decided to provide assistance of Rs 3,000 to the 3,18,000 registered construction workers through DBT in their bank accounts.

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 24

The first dawn of curfew in Punjab and Chandigarh brought with it anxieties for people wondering about whether or not they would get their essential supplies such as milk. The supplies were disrupted for the most part, but attempts were being made by district administrations to start deliveries at doorstep, at least in the cities.

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Door-to-door supply of milk and vegetables was allowed in Faridkot, with the Deputy Commissioner issuing passes to vendors.

Also read: Punjab Govt clamps statewide curfew to curb spread

The Bathinda DC announced there would be no relaxation in the curfew on Tuesday in the district, but Verka would arrange door-to-door supply of milk in the city.

However, the supply of milk (including Verka) and essential items was severely affected in most parts of Punjab due to a lack of coordination between the district authorities and state government agencies responsible for supply of essential commodities.

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Moga, Patiala, and Mohali too reported disruption in the supply of newspapers and milk. As much as 12 lakh litres of milk was reported lying at the Mohali Verka milk plant alone for want of pick up.

Officials said relaxation was not being given as people in many parts of the state were not taking the curfew seriously. Relaxation for short intervals was resulting in people coming out in large numbers in public places such as parks and markets.

They said it could take a day to streamline the process of distribution of essential items.

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Chandigarh too reported similar disruptions, though newspapers were delivered in some areas.

Newspaper supply in several areas of Amritsar remained affected on Tuesday.

Vendor union leaders came at pick up points to discourage the vendors from distributing newspapers.

Milk Supply also remained disrupted in the city. Only milk vendors from the rural belt could manage to supply milk at the doorstep in parts of the city.

Tribune News Service
Srinagar, March 24 

The Jammu and Kashmir government issued an order revoking the detention of former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday.

In a tweet, government spokesperson Rohit Kansal said: “Govt issues orders revoking detention of Shri Omar Abdullah.”

The National Conference leader was in detention at Hari Nivas since August 5, 2019—when Article 370 was abrogated.

Also read: SC notice to J-K on Sara Pilot’s plea against brother Omar’s detention

Last week, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir Administration to spell out if it planned to release Abdullah.

“If you are releasing him, then release him soon or we will hear the matter on merits,” a Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra had said.

During his detention, part of a major crackdown to prevent protest against the abrogation of Article 370, Omar grew a long beard that has dramatically changed his appearance.

Omar’s father and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah was only recently released from detention.

Omar’s political career saw him becoming the Minister of State for External Affairs during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2001-2002. He was elected as the Member of Parliament from Srinagar in 1998 and was also elected as a legislator from Ganderbal and Beerwah constituencies.