Telangana issues strict instructions to curb movement

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, April 20

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Telangana Government has banned all online delivery services in the state from on Monday to prevent spread of coronavirus through transmission.

Chief Minister K Chandershekhar Rao (KCR) has banned Swiggy and Zomoto services and appealed to people not to order food online.

“We are going to implement all the lockdown conditions imposed

in the first phase and get more strict during the current phase that is likely to see an upsurge”, the chief minister said.

Telangana’s Council of Ministers extended lockdown in the state till May 7 and will take a decision on whether to extend it further when the state cabinet meets on May 5.

The state has decided not to grant any relaxations that central government had proposed from April 20.

KCR has appealed to the people to remain confined to remain room and to observe the Ramadan prayers in their houses.

All religious places have remained closed since the lockdown began. The month long fasting for Ramadan begins on the evening of April 23 and ends with breaking of the fast on May 23.

In order to ensure the state remain in good fiscal health the state has decided on 50 per cent deferment of salaries to government employees and public representatives for April. Retired government employees will get 75 per cent of their pension.

However, police personnel will get 10 per cent additional salary. Employees of Operations and Maintenance and artisans in Genco and Transco will get their full salary for April.

The state government has directed landlords of residential premises not to collect rents from tenants for March, April and May. Private schools have been asked not hike fees for academic year 2020-21.

The white ration card holding families will get 12 kilos of rice free per head for April and Rs. 1,500 financial assistance for each family. Further the fixed charges for electricity to be paid by industries for months of April and May would be deferred, officials said.

Hyderabad’s Gachchibowli stadium and nine acres of open land, has been transferred to health department to be converted into a 1,500 bed hospital. It has also been decided that this temporary hospital set up at Gachibowli stadium would be developed into a medical college

eventually, to be named Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.

No passengers on domestic flights coming from outside the state would be allowed into Telangana till May 7, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said.