Bihar ministers asked not to flout lockdown by touring constituencies

A notification to this effect was passed by the cabinet secretariat department on Sunday which noted with concern "reported instances of ministers touring their constituencies or districts under their charge (prabhaar)" for reviewing the progress of development works etc.

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has advised its ministers not to make rounds of their constituencies in violation of the restrictions in place during the lockdown, clamped earlier this month to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.

Lockdown was imposed in the state on May 5 for 11 days and, buoyed by the "positive outcome", the government extended it till May 25. (Manoj Dhaka/HT file photo. Representative image)

A notification to this effect was passed by the cabinet secretariat department on Sunday which noted with concern "reported instances of ministers touring their constituencies or districts under their charge (prabhaar)" for reviewing the progress of development works etc.

"Such acts by honourable ministers will send a wrong message to the common people who might become disinclined to scrupulously adhere to the restrictions in place during the lockdown. These restrictions have been in place to control the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic which has gripped the state," the notification said.

"It is therefore requested that the honourable ministers avoid tours of their areas for reviews and inspections. If required, they may opt for video conferencing," the communication added.

Lockdown was imposed in the state on May 5 for 11 days and, buoyed by the "positive outcome", the government extended it till May 25. During the period, a marked decline has been observed in the active caseload and positivity rate while the recovery rate has improved.

The state had been relatively less severely affected by the viral outbreak when it first struck last year. However, the second wave has wrought devastation, infecting more than four lakh people in the last couple of months and claiming over 2,000 lives.