Passes for night curfew applicable over weekend

Spelling relief to essential service providers, the government on Friday clarified that e-passes issued for movement during the ongoing night curfew would suffice for travel during the weekend curfew.

Hours before the weekend curfew was to come into effect at 10pm on Friday, the government and police issued orders directing district administrations to ensure strict enforcement of restrictions over the next two days.

Delhi Police personnel checking commuters for curfew passes at a picket in New Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

The government directed bus conductors to ensure that public buses are accessible to all essential service providers with valid identity cards and e-passes, while exempting from the curfew candidates who are scheduled to appear for examinations on Saturday and Sunday. Such candidates need only carry their admit cards, the government said.

Spelling relief to essential service providers, the government on Friday clarified that e-passes issued for movement during the ongoing night curfew would suffice for travel during the weekend curfew.

The Delhi Police asserted that extensive arrangements -- pickets, patrolling on bikes and in four-wheelers, and maximum deployment of personnel on streets -- are being made.

“When they did not do so till late-afternoon, a few of us went to the SDM’s office and learnt that the night pass would suffice,” said Jagan Mahapatra, a grocery store owner who also supplies bottled water and milk cartons in and around south Delhi’s Khirki Extension locality.

On Friday, district administration and police sent out teams across the city and chaired meetings with residents and market welfare groups, seeking their help in ensuring full compliance of curfew regulations.

“Same as last year, the Delhi Police is again at the frontline to arrest the surge of Covid-19,” city police commissioner SN Shrivastava said in a virtual meeting with senior officers, including all DCPs on Friday afternoon, directing them to maintain tight vigil and prosecute anyone found wilfully disobeying the restrictions.