E-Paper
Resumption of apni mandis: UT administration to take final call in month end
The UT administration will wait till October end to reconsider the reopening of apni mandis in the city.
The UT administration will wait till October end to reconsider the reopening of apni mandis in the city.
The markets organised in different sectors for retail sale of vegetables were banned in March after the Covid-induced lockdown was clamped.
Stating that the administration will wait for Covid-19 situation to stabilise and improve, UT adviser Manoj Parida said, “We will take a call on the issue at the end of the month. It is a matter of convenience and not of necessity as vegetables and fruits are available in other markets of the city.”
Decision on Ramlila soon
UT adviser Manoj Parida said the administration will soon (in a day or two) decide on granting the permission to organise Ramlilas in the city. The administration will take into consideration the decision of neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana on the issue.
“Approval to organise Ramlila is likely to be given, but the administration is still weighing in its options regarding the organisation of bigger Dussehra functions in the city. At such places, management of huge crowd in the wake of Covid-19 crisis is a concern,” said a senior UT official, who wished not to be named.
In the Covid-19 review meeting, Punjab governor and UT administrator VP Singh Badnore had directed the deputy commissioner to ensure that the festivals are celebrated by people while following the Covid safety protocols strictly. Necessary guidelines should be issued while giving permissions for such public celebrations, he added
Meanwhile, Chandigarh Police held a meeting with Ramlila organisers and representatives of various religious organisations on Monday and directed them that thermal scanning of all visitors and volunteers will be mandatory during events in the upcoming festive season.
UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal told the organisers that all entrances should have provisions for thermal screening and hand sanitisation.
Even the organisers must get scanned before entering the venues, he added. Police also advised the organisers to ensure the usage of masks, maintenance of social distancing norms, and sanitisation of temples and Ramlila stages.
Strengthening of dispensaries
In the meeting, Badnore stressed upon the need to strengthen the smaller health units located in various sectors.
He instructed the director, health services, to ensure that more doctors are posted and more facilities provided in these dispensaries, so that patients do not throng the OPD facilities in PGIMER or GMSH-16.
The administrator directed special secretary, health, to ensure that patients in home isolation are taken care of and provided necessary medicines and health kits. Regular monitoring and telephonic consultations with them should be done by dedicated doctors, he added.
