• Government decides to postpone the date of payment of various public utility bills without any extra charges
• Government decides to reduce the interstate HRTC bus services upto 10 percent only
• Buses would not be allowed to carry more than 70 percent passengers of its capacity
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the Chief Ministers of the states of the country to review the situation arisen due to spread of Coronavirus.
Later while holding video conferencing with the Deputy Commissioners of the state, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur asked them to ensure that the call of ‘Janta Curfew’ given by the Prime Minister was a big success in the state. He said that all out efforts should be made to motivate the people to remain in door on 22nd March.
Chief Minister said that State and District Nodal Officers have been appointed to monitor the situation and Helpline -104 was working round the clock at Call Centre. He said that isolation wards have been identified at 18 Health Institutions including all the Government Medical Colleges in state having total bed capacity of 102.
Jai Ram Thakur said Clinician In charge have been designated at IGMC Shimla and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College Tanda, in district Kangra alongwith sample collection facility at Micro Biology Departments. He said that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including N-95 masks had been made available in all the districts and medical college hospitals. Health Care providers in public health institutions have been re-sensitised for Universal Precautions and cough etiquettes.
Chief Minister said that hoteliers have been requested for sensitisations of visitors to self declare if any of their guests had history of visit to China or any other COVID-19 affected countries during last 14 days.
He said that two suspected cases have been found in the state from Kangra district have been found as per preliminary reports and samples have been sent to Pune for further investigations.
Chief Minister said that government would deal the cases of hoarding and profiteering sternly. He said that the government has also decided to postpone the date of payment of various public utility bills like electricity, water etc. without any extra charges.
Jai Ram Thakur said that keeping in view Janta Curfew on 22nd March, 2020 plying of all kinds of buses has been suspended. He said that all the Inter State Contract Carriage has been suspended from mid night of 21st March, 2020 till further orders.
Chief Minister said that government had also decided to reduce the interstate HRTC bus services upto 10 percent only and only buses to places such as Delhi, Haridwar and Chandigarh would ply. He said that Intra State bus services of HRTC and private buses would be reduced by 50 percent and no bus would be allowed to carry more than 70 percent passengers of its capacity.
All the Deputy Commissioners detailed the steps taken by them for tackling of menace of coronavirus.
Chief Secretary Anil Khachi, Political Advisor to Chief Minister Trilok Jamwal, Additional Chief Secretary R.D. Dhiman, Principal Secretaries K.K. Pant and Sanjay Kundu, Director General of Police S.R. Mardi and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
