Hyderabad, March 21 (Press Media Of India): Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao today declared 24-hour Janata curfew in the State from Sunday 6 am to Monday 6 am in order to protect ourselves from the dreaded corona virus spread. “This is to extend solidarity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Janata curfew call on Sunday from 6 am to 9 pm”.
Speaking to mediapersons at Pragati Bhavan here today, the Chief Minister said the number of corona positive cases reached 20. He exhorted the people to come out into verandahs to extend solidarity by giving claps for two to four minutes followed by a siren sound at 5 pm to support Modi’s call. KCR directed the DGP to arrest anyone insulting the Prime Minister through false information in the social media.
The Chief Minister stressed the need for self-discipline and restraint for 24 hours and asked businessmen and traders to close shops. He also said a total shutdown will be imposed if necessary and essential commodities to people would be supplied through vehicles. He also said RTC buses and Metro trains will not run, but only five metro trains will be allowed to run in emergency, autos and other transportation to support the curfew.
The Chief Minister also clarified that emergency, medical shops, ambulance services and media will be allowed to work and while all State borders to be closed for 24 hours and people should remain indoors. “I appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday during Chief Ministers meeting to shut down airports for international flights. We got permission from the Centre to make use of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) to treat about 1,000 patients in emergency”, he said.
The Chief Minister said his government will offer essential commodities, medicines to workers and others by spending Rs 1,000 crore and above until the problem was addressed. He also revealed that some 65 people came here from Kajkistan, Kirgistan and other nations and are under observation while about 20,000 people entered India from various countries since March 1. The official machinery was fully prepared to tackle corona virus spread and allow pujas in temples, he added.
The Chief Minister exhorted people in the State to show the same spirit that they had displayed during the separate Telangana movement and voluntarily participate in the total shutdown. He urged people to come out at 5 pm and express their solidarity along with the entire nation and clap for the medical fraternity, police, sanitation workers and others who are working to keep others safe.
“We set up 5,724 vigilance teams to ensure the curfew and those with symptoms should check. He also said 52 check posts are put up on State borders and five special teams and several others are monitoring the situation. Nations which neglected the dreaded virus were facing problems and we are ready to take on the corona virus. “Let us fight together to prevent the virus and avoid panic with confidence”, he said.
“People in the State must stand together and express their solidarity in fighting this virus. We need to take tough decisions during such tough times. Spare 24 hours and stay at home to save the world. It is everyone’s social responsibility,” the Chief Minister appealed.
The Chief Minister also said the officials are considering plans to closedown the inter-state borders after consulting their Maharashtra counterparts. The State government was also making contingency plans to arrange for door delivery of essential commodities, in case of imposing another shutdown in case of emergency.
KCR said the total number of Corona virus-positive cases in the State has gone up to 21 and over 11,000 people have been sent to quarantine centers as part of the efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 disease. He also stressed the need for people coming from abroad to cooperate with the State government voluntarily go in for self-isolation to help the official machinery effectively control the virus from spreading within families and communities. The Chief Minister also asked the children below 10 years and old people above 60 years not to step out of their houses during the ‘Janata Curfew’