Khan appointed COVID Control Incharge in Kashmir
*CRPF personnel not to move out of J&K for 15 days
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 20: Amidst criticism of the civil administration over different orders by different Deputy Commissioners at regular intervals on advisories and restrictions over Coronavirus, the Government today ordered that Advisor Baseer Ahmad Khan will be overall Incharge of covid-19 control efforts in Kashmir division.
Khan will remain stationed at Srinagar for three days a week to closely monitor all activities related to Coronavirus control efforts, an official order tonight said.
The Government also directed that all Administrative Secretaries, Commissioner Secretaries, Deputy Commissio-ners and Heads of Departments will ensure quarantine of all officers/officials or their relatives who have foreign travel history since March 1, 2020 before they resume their duties.
“Some Nodal Officers could also be appointed to meet with the situation,’’ official sources said.
Government spokesman and Principal Secretary Planning Development and Monitoring Department Rohit Kansal told the Excelsior that the District Magistrates have been empowered to deal with the situation.
“Some Nodal Officers are also assisting in the situation but under the Acts which have been enforced in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to check Coronavirus spread, the District Magistrates were empowered to impose restrictions and issue advisories after constant and regular review of the situation,’’ Kansal said.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma said the District Magistrates were issuing orders depending on the situation.
“The situation which is prevalent in Ramban district may not be same in Kishtwar or any other district. The orders are district-specific and are issued taking into account situation prevailing in that particular district,’’ Verma told the Excelsior, saying the situation is being constantly monitored and orders are issued based on developing situation.
There was confusion among the people in Jammu division over repeated issuance of different orders by the District Magistrates-cum-Deputy Commissioners, Education Department and other authorities especially those pertaining to closure of educational institutions, shops, transport etc.
“Orders are being issued after every few hours by the District Magistrates. In one of the districts, an order issued by the Magistrate said educational institutions will remain closed but within few hours, the Education Department came out with another order saying only class work has been suspended and the teachers and administrative staff will continue to report to the institutes.
Couple of days later, the Education Department realized gravity of the situation and directed that the teaching staff need not to come to the institutes.
Similar was the case in many other districts regarding closure of shops and enforcement of the order. In most of the districts, the Deputy Commissioners earlier ordered closure of only restaurants, dhabas, rehris etc but couple of days later directed that all shops except those selling grocery items, vegetables, dairy products and medicines will remain closed.
Suspension of transport was no exception.
Three districts banned movement of public transport two to three days back while others allowed movement of transport and stopped it later. In some districts, there is still no order pertaining to suspension of public transport.
Number of people rang up the Excelsior saying there was utter confusion pertaining to different orders at almost regular intervals regarding restrictions.
And, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been asked to stay put in Jammu and Kashmir and don’t move out for next 15 days. The order is aimed at keeping the troops safe from any kind of threat due to COVID-19.
Sources told the Excelsior that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRFP) personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir have been asked not to move in and out of Jammu and Kashmir at least for next 15 days.
The time period might be extended depending on the situation, they said, adding the order was aimed at keeping the CRPF personnel at their place of posting.
The para-military personnel whose leave period has expired or is expiring have been asked to extend it by another 15 days while those desiring to proceed on leave have been told to wait for a fortnight.
“This will help the CRPF personnel to stay put at one place of posting which will protect them from any kind of threat arising out of Coronavirus,’’ sources said.
There is massive presence of the CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir which had gone up manifold ahead of August 5 Central decisions to abrogate special Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
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