Bengal intensifies war against COVID-19 with 5-day restriction
pritesh basu
Kolkata: Taking a major step in its war against COVID-19 in the state, the Mamata Banerjee government imposed "complete safety restrictions" in 46 "urban and rural areas" including Kolkata from 5 pm on Monday to midnight of March 27.
Essential services including courts, banks and ATMs, petrol pumps, ration shops, health services, medicine shops and shops selling vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and milk will remain out of the purview of the restriction. Telecom, internet, IT, ITeS and postal service will also remain unaffected. It will ensure the supply of food and other essential commodities during the period of restriction.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already taken a series of steps to check the spread of the virus. Now, considering that "it is imperative to adopt social distancing and isolation measures across the identified urban and rural areas in the state", the restrictions have been imposed.
This comes at a time when seven people were found affected by the disease in the state, with three of them testing positive on Sunday.
A restriction has also been imposed on public transport services including plying of taxis and auto-rickshaws apart from the ones taking people to and from hospitals, airports, railway stations and bus terminuses. However, vehicles carrying food and essential commodities will not come under the restriction.
The state government has also decided to restrict the entry of trucks and trailers carrying non-essential goods to the state from Sunday midnight to March 31. All long-distance, local suburban trains and Metro services will remain suspended from Sunday midnight to March 31. Buses will also remain off the roads, including the inter-state ones.
All shops, commercial establishments, offices and factories, workshops, and godowns shall remain closed. However, one can place an order for groceries and food items online. Home delivery of food has also been allowed.
Essential services including print, electronic and social media will remain operational. There would also not be any restriction on the use of private vehicles.
People are required to stay at home and they may come out only for basic services. Any congregation of more than seven persons has been prohibited in public places.
The restrictions have been imposed at towns including Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jaigaon, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Kurseong, Siliguri, South Dinajpur, East Burdwan, Kalna, Katwa, Purulia, Bankura, Barjora, Bishnupur, West Midnapore, Kharagpur, Ghatal, Jhargram, East Midnapore, Haldia, Digha, Kolaghat, Contai, Diamond Harbour, Canning, Sonarpur, Baruipur, Bhangore, Budge Budge, Maheshtala and all municipal towns in North 24-Parganas including Salt Lake and New Town.
The same will be imposed in the entire North Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum, West Burdwan, Hooghly and Howrah. Areas under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will come under the same restrictions.
The order that the state government passed in this connection on Sunday has clearly stated that "any person found violating these instructions shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code". Examiners of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education have been informed that submission of answer scripts of Madhyamik examinees to head examiners and board will remain suspended till further notice.
All interviews of the Public Service Commission will also remain suspended for the time being from Monday onwards.
With the movement of public transport being shut down, employees in government sectors apart from those in essential service may remain at home from Monday morning.
