CURFEW WAS lifted from areas falling under four police stations in the city on Wednesday following improvement in the situation while the restriction was relaxed in phases for few hours in areas under the remaining three.
No untoward incident was reported from any part of the city throughout the day. District administration claimed that the city was fast returning to normal with the worst over.
However, majority of the educational institutions remained closed and shop in many areas including the western part of the city where curfew was not imposed. Remained closed.
Day curfew was lifted from Central Kotwali, Raoji Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar and Sarafa from Monday morning, while it was relaxed twice during the day in Pandrinath, Chhatripura and Malharganj areas, where women were allowed for three hours from 6 am to make purchase of essential commodities. Milk booths and grocery shops were crowded with female customers.
However, fruits and vegetables were sold at exorbitant rates.
Observing improvement in the situation, police and district administration decided to extend the relaxation period by an hour. The administration ensured that all fair price shops remained open.
Another spell of relaxation was given in these localities from 2 pm to 4 pm as the situation improved and it was further extended by till 5 pm. The period passed off without any incident any where in the city.
It was for the first time in three days that no untoward incident was reported in the city. People in Sarafa, Central Kotwali, Sadar Bazaar and Raoji Bazaar areas heaved a sigh of relief as the curfew restriction were lifted Wednesday morning.
{{/usCountry}}It was for the first time in three days that no untoward incident was reported in the city. People in Sarafa, Central Kotwali, Sadar Bazaar and Raoji Bazaar areas heaved a sigh of relief as the curfew restriction were lifted Wednesday morning.
{{/usCountry}}No trace of communal tension was visible in any part of the city and the people indulged themselves in their normal activities. The streets, which wore a deserted look for three consecutive days bustledj with activities.
Near normalcy returned in these areas of the city that had to pay the price of having a large mix of low and middle income Hindu and Muslim families, narrow lanes large families in very small accommodations, a large number of unemployed youth, religious places on the street side in close proximity.
The leaders of political parties had organised peace marches in the troubled areas on Tuesday evening. But a minor incident when a petrol bomb was hurled at the STF picket in the evening had marred the day.
Additional Collector Renu Pant said that the situation in all disturbed areas was under control and appealed to the public not to heed rumours. IG Rajendra Kumar, DIG Madhu Kumar, SP Anshuman Yadav, ASP’s Manoj Shrivastav and Manoj Singh ADM Rameshwar Gupta, Additional Collector Ramesh Bhandari and a score of CSP’s and SDM’s visited the areas.
A close watch is, however being maintained in the three police station areas, while security men in strength have been deployed in the areas from where curfew has been lifted.
The district administration is understood to be considering lifting the restriction during the day from Thursday in the three police station areas if the city remained incident free.