‘No relaxation in curbs for Eid namaz, pray at home’

Varanasi: District administration has refused any relaxations in Lockdown 4.0 guidelines for allowing offering of namaz at mosques and Eidgahs in the district on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
In a meeting with Muslim representatives from different localities of city at his camp office Thursday, district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma ruled out any digression from the guidelines on restrictions and said, “There has been a massive increase in number of Covid-19 cases and hotspot areas in the district have also gone up. Saving lives of people is the first priority of district administration as well as every responsible person.”
Making it clear that offering of namaz will not be allowed in mosques and Eidgahs since all religious places have been closed till May 31, he appealed to the people to offer namaz at their homes on the festive occasion as there cannot be any compromise with lives of people amid ongoing global crisis for celebrating a festival.
Sharma, however, asked Varanasi Municipal Corporation, electricity department, Jal Kal and other departments to ensure proper sanitation, power and water supply in all localities on the festival. Officials were also asked to complete repair of damaged sewer and water supply lines. VMC officials were directed to ensure no stray animal is seen near religious sites in areas having Muslim population.
When the Muslim representatives requested DM to allow resumption of health services in private and charitable hospitals, he said the chief medical officer has already been told to conduct training of doctors and paramedical staff of these hospitals on Covid-19 precautions.
The services in these hospitals will be restored after the training is complete, he added.