COVID-19: DM Pulwama issues unlock roster for shops, businesses

PULWAMA — District Magistrate Pulwama, Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary on Monday issued the unlock roster for opening of shops in the valley’s southern district.

An order issued in this connection read that the District Magistrates have been directed to devise mechanism/pattern for operationalization of business establishments within the district and in this regard, the DM Pulwama has ordered for a patterned or roster-based opening of shops in the district.

The new directions, effective from 31-05-2021, allow opening of various shops in the entire district but strictly as per the given roster.

The following business establishments have been included in the latest unlock roster:

i. Chemists and Drugs Shops; Diagnostic Centres; Medial, Optical and Clinical Establishments; ii. LPG Outlets and Petrol Pumps; iii. Vegetable & Fruit Markets, including street vendors; iv. Shops dealing with Milk & Milk Products; Meat & Chicken Shops; v. Agricultural activities including establishments dealing with agricultural inputs, implements and tools; vi. Cattle feed and fodder shops; vii. Print & Electronic Media; viii. FCI and FCS&CA depots; ix. Operation and maintenance of telecom towers and other telecom infrastructure; x. E-Commerce & Home Delivery of essential goods and services; xi. Restaurants in Hotels for in-house guests, to he served only in rooms; xii. Kitchens in Restaurants and Food Outlets (only for Home Delivery); xiii. All Industrial and Scientific establishments (both Public & Private); xiv. All Development, Construction works and mining activities; xv. Inter-state and intra-state movement of essential goods.

This roster schedule shall be applicable to both Wholesale and Retail Establishments, the order said, adding, “There shall be Daily Night Curfew from 8 PM to 7 AM next day.”

Also the weekend curfew with effect from 8 PM each Friday till 7 AM each Monday, with only permissible activities. “Ceiling on people permitted to gatherings/functions shall be 20 in case of funerals and 25 for all other kind of social/religious gatherings whether indoor or outdoor venues,” the DM’s order said.

The DM Pulwama said that any violation of the order shall invite punitive action under Section 188 of IPC and relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Meanwhile, the district administration said that it has started a survey to ascertain the number of COVID-19 victim families in Pulwama.

“On the directions of Deputy Commissioner Baseer-ul-Haq Chowdary, Revenue Department Pulwama has mobilized their teams to conduct the survey of COVID-19 victim families, who lost their loved ones due to the deadly disease,” a statement from the authorities said.

It further said that the concerned Tehsildars have already constituted teams to find out the families wherein senior citizens who have lost only earning members of their  families and the children, who have lost their parents to this calamity. These families will be provided with financial assistance by the government.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has announced a slew of measures to ‘mitigate the suffering of families’ who have lost their loved ones to COVID-19 pandemic.