Places of worship closed in Srinagar

Govt official prosecuted for denying equipment to quarantine facility ; 31 arrested for violating lockdown restrictions; 152 foreign returnees put under quarantine

27/03/2020

SRINAGAR, Mar 26: Prosecution proceedings have been initiated against the Principal of the Degree College at Tral in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir for violating the district administration's orders and not providing the requisite equipment for newly established quarantine facilities, an official said Thursday.
"Prosecution proceedings have been initiated against Principal, Degree College, Tral for violating orders of district administration and not providing equipment including LPG gas heaters, electric heaters, generator sets, computer systems for the newly established quarantine facilities," an official spokesperson said. The college has been turned into a quarantine facility for suspected cases of coronavirus.
Action has been initiated under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 against the principal, a government official, for his failure to perform the duties assigned to him and for obstructing government functionaries in discharging their duties, the spokesperson said. He said termination notices were issued to two employees of the District Tuberculosis Centre who were found to be absent when the District Magistrate was inspecting the preparations to deal with COVID-19 cases at the centre.
District Magistrate, Pulwama reiterated that any laxity on the part of government functionaries involved in discharging duties related to prevention of COVID-19 shall be dealt with under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and relevant penal provisions.
He advised government employees to be proactive and make extra effort towards preventing the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in view of increased number of persons infected with coronavirus - now gone up to five - and in an effort to contain spread of the infection in the district the District Magistrate Srinagar has ordered closure of all places of worship in the district.
Major shrines and gurdwaras supported the decision of the administration and made the initiative in this regard.
Some of these closing gates in support of the call as soon as requested Thursday morning include - among others the revered Hazratbal shrine, Naqshband shrine, Dastgeer Sahib shrine and Chattipadshahigurdwara.
Concerned officers are on the ground reaching out across the district to ensure closure of all places of worship including all mosques and gurdwaras as well as temples and churches. The DM has appealed to management committees of all places of worship and all residents of the district to cooperate with and support the administration in this decision taken for the greater good of the people in view of the prevailing health situation.
He has urged one and all to ensure strict implementation of the order until further notice. He said it a difficult decision but an unavoidable measure keeping in view the threat that this infection poses.
Police on Thursday arrested 31 people in the Kashmir Valley for violating prohibitory orders imposed under the lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a police spokesperson said. He said 14 people were arrested in Awantipora area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district, while three were taken into custody in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. In similar action in Handwara, police arrested 14 people and seized two vehicles for violating the prohibitory orders issued under section 144 (unlawful assembly) of CrPC, the spokesperson said.
Cases under relevant sections of the law have been registered at the respective police stations and investigations have been taken up, he added. Srinagar District Magistrate ShahidChoudhary on Wednesday said that 152 people who did not declare that they had returned from foreign countries have been traced and put under quarantine in the view of novel coronavirus outbreak.
"Control Room traced 152 undeclared cases of persons returned from UAE, Iran, Hungary, Taiwan, Malaysia, Cambodia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Kazakhstan. Put under quarantine. We continue to request people to come forward and self-report. Help docs, Urself, family & society," Choudhary tweeted. According to the Health Ministry, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in India reached 606, including 43 foreign nationals.

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