As precaution, lockdown in entire Haryana: CM

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, March 23

Addressing a digital press conference here on Monday, Khattar said the state had 470 ventilators and had ordered 140 more of those.

“We have made 327 isolation wards and 24 quarantine wards. We are also considering setting up of separate Covid hospitals in the state though we are hopeful that we will be able to make a turnaround and wipe out the virus very soon,” the CM said.

Maintaining that flow of essential supplies would continue uninterrupted throughout the state during the lockdown, he said the decision to extend the lockdown to the entire state after imposing it in seven districts was only a precautionary step and there was no need to panic.

Stating that all commercial establishments will remain shut though supply chains of essential commodities would not be affected. He said all people arriving from abroad were required to home-quarantined for 14 days.

The period could be extended by local health authorities. He urged people to stay indoors and come out only if required 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 would also work, he said.

While Section 144 of the CrPC had been imposed in the state and gathering of five or more persons will not be allowed, the Resident Welfare Associations will ensure maintenance of social distancing.

On a slew of measures aimed at giving relief to those impacted by the lockdown, Khattar said, “The BPL families will be provided their monthly rations for April free of cost. This will include rice or wheat as per their entitlement, mustard oil and 1 kg sugar while schoolchildren enrolled in government schools and all children in anganwadis will be given dry ration for the period the schools and anganwadis are closed. Additionally, the primary school students will get Rs 134.40 and senior students would be given Rs 200.30 towards cooking charges,” he said.

He said families registered under Mukhyamantri Parivar Samriddhi Yojana (MMPSY) are being provided Rs 4,000 with contributions to the different insurance and pension schemes.

As on date, around 12.38 lakh families have registered under MMPSY. The balance amount of Rs 2,000 per family will be released before March 31 to all the registered families whose verification has been completed. A further sum of Rs 6,000 would be provided to such families in April, he added.

The CM said those who have been registered with the Haryana Board of Construction Workers but have not registered under MMPSY would be provided a sum of Rs 4,500 per month on weekly basis starting March 30. The sum would be paid directly into their bank account. He said that all BPL families who have not registered under MMPSY would also be provided a sum of Rs 4,500 per month on weekly basis starting March 30. The sum would be deposited into their bank account.

He said that poor persons who were earning on daily basis such as mazdoors, street vendors etc may register with the Deputy Commissioner of the district on a portal that would be established by March 27. All such persons who are found eligible and have a bank account would be directly provided an assistance of Rs 1000 per week.

All positive Covid patients, if requiring hospitalisation, would be given the benefit of free hospitalisation, irrespective of whether the treatment is in a private or government hospital, he further added.

“Health workers and frontline workers involved in combating the pandemic would be provided accident insurance (ex gratia) of Rs 10 lakh. The government would ensure that all contractual workers with government would receive their wages even if they were unable to perform their work during the period of lockdown. All industries and commercial establishments are being advised not to retrench or remove any employee for their absence during the period of lockdown,” Khattar said.

Assistance would be provided for facilitating e-payments. In case any domestic, commercial or small industrial consumer is unable to pay their electricity, water or sewerage bills in time, then no surcharge or interest on delayed payment would be charged till April 15.

Similarly, the due date of all taxes under the Haryana Motor Vehicle Taxation Act would be extended by one month to April 30. Also, stage and contract carriage vehicles would be given 100 per cent exemption from the Motor Vehicle Taxation for the period they are not allowed to ply in view of the lockdown, he said adding that no penalty would be charged for any delay with respect to the vehicles, which become due for renewal/passing from March 15 to April 30. A special package for agriculture and farmers shall be announced by the Government by March 28, he said.