Curfew imposed in Chandigarh; Haryana under complete lockdown

Chandigarh Administration has imposed curfew for an indefinite period from Monday midnight without any relaxation.

Chandigarh Administrator and Punjab Governor, V P Singh Badnore, issued the directions while chairing a meeting of senior officials of the administration.

With the imposition of curfew, a press note of the Chandigarh Administration said that all the residents will be required to stay indoors. The DGP has been given strict directions to enforce the curfew without any relaxation whatsoever.

Manoj Parida, Adviser to the Administrator, has stated that only individuals engaged in essential services including police, medical etc will be issued curfew passes. Employees of Punjab, Haryana and Central Government will request for passes through their Chief Secretaries only. The Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh has been authorised to decide about the curfew passes. Moreover, some relaxation in curfew hours will be given for purchase of essential items in due course.

He further stated that the Chandigarh Administration has tied up with states of Punjab and Haryana for continuous supply of essential commodities including oxygen, LPG, petroleum products etc. It has also been decided to requisition Sood Dharamshala, where 125 isolated rooms with toilets are available, to function as an isolation ward, if necessary. A separate block of PGIMER (Nehru Block) has been designated for exclusively housing and treatment of COVID-19 affected patients.

Newspaper distributors and hawkers have also been advised to follow hygiene standards and use protective gear for distribution of newspapers.

The Administration has also taken up with the Union Government the issue of advance payment of ration money of two months under Public Distribution System in Chandigarh. The Chandigarh Administration has decided to pay Rs. 3,000 to each registered construction worker for loss of their income due to coronavirus.

Further, a Control Room Number - 112 has been setup for answering queries/calls made by general public in Chandigarh. The Control Room will function 24 X 7. Senior officers of the Administration will be available around the clock and will coordinate with the concerned department to resolve the queries/grievances of the people of Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, Haryana government which had announced lockdown in seven districts including Panchkula that share boundaries with Chandigarh, also imposed a complete lockdown across the state.

The state government has also virtually sealed its borders and kept officials of the health department on a red alert.