Markets to remain open from 7 AM to 7 PM from today

To encourage commercial activities, markets will be allowed to remain open in the state from 7 AM to 7 PM from today. Till now, the market was being allowed to open from 7 AM to 4 PM. This decision and other directions to ensure proper facilities in quarantine centres were issued by the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat while chairing a meeting late on Thursday evening to review the condition in the state resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The CM directed that for inter-district travel, immediate issuance of pass should be ensured on the basis of the information provided by the applicant. Along with grant of permission to labourers at the local level for small construction works, relaxation should be provided in the mandatory requirement of quarantine for those arriving for a limited time for their work. The CM also directed the director general of police Anil Kumar Raturi to ensure strict implementation of social distancing in the markets. On the DGP’s request, the CM directed that provision be made from disaster management and departmental budget to provide PPE kits, masks and sanitisers as per the requirement to police personnel on duty.

To dispel fear of Covid-19 and provide information about measures for protection from the virus, short videos of doctors involved should be prepared and made available till the Gram Panchayat level, said Rawat. The experiences of those who recovered from Covid-19 should also be included in these videos to inculcate a positive attitude among the public. He also directed the district magistrates to maintain effective arrangements for containing the spread of the virus while ensuring proper treatment of the afflicted citizens. The CM further said that the spread of the pandemic will be contained by observing social distancing, using masks and sanitisers without fail. He stressed on the need for public awareness on these aspects.

The chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, secretaries Amit Singh Negi, Shailesh Bagauli, Nitesh Jha, Radhika Jha, director general (Law and Order) Ashok Kumar, inspector generals Sanjay Gunjyal, Abhinav Kumar and USDMA ACEO Ridhim Agarwal were also among those present in the meeting.