Nitin Raut drops plan for weekend lockdown with curfew

NAGPUR: Guardian minister Nitin Raut has dropped the plan for full lockdown with curfew on weekend. On the other hand, BJP legislators and office-bearers in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) have demanded mayor Sandip Joshi to implement janata curfew on Saturday-Sunday.
In its guidelines while announcing Unlock-4, the central government had imposed restriction on state governments for implementing local lockdown. The centre said local lockdown outside containment zones should not be imposed without prior consultation with it.
TOI on August 28 had reported Raut was planning full lockdown with curfew on Saturdays and Sundays from September. He had stated final decision will be taken on Monday.
Raut held meeting with divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar, CP Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay, municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B, collector Ravindra Thakare and others on Sunday. Joshi and other public representatives were not present.
Explaining why full lockdown with curfew on weekend has been dropped, Raut told TOI that it will affect many, especially economically backward people who already facing serious problems due to earlier full lockdown and Covid-19 pandemic. “Deliberations concluded that will not make much difference,” he said.
According to sources, Raut also spoke to representatives of traders’ associations who too requested him to not go for full lockdown with curfew on weekend. “Traders said it will further worsen their business,” the sources said.
Mayor Joshi said that all public representatives who attended the meeting with him were in favour of imposing weekend janata curfew for controlling Covid cases. Apart from leader of opposition in NMC Tanaji Wanve, all public representative were BJP legislators and office-bearers in NMC.
“Civic chief was also present in the meeting,” said Joshi and added that final decision will be taken after meeting with representatives of traders’ organizations on Tuesday.
On restriction imposed by the centre, Joshi said that janata curfew is different from full lockdown with curfew. “In janata curfew people and shopkeepers on their own will keep all activities closed on weekend. “It doesn’t require any notification or police deployment,” he said.
A press release issued by the NMC stated that Joshi has directed the civic chief to take decision on janata curfew. The municipal commissioner and collector are competent authorities who can issue the orders.
All traders’ associations are demanding scrapping odd-even system if janata curfew is to be implemented. The civic chief on Tuesday will issue guidelines for September which will clear the civic body’s stand on odd-even system.
Raut said, “There are various plans to control the cases and deaths. A team will be deployed for each of 10 zones soon. An IAS officer will lead each team that will comprise an official from NMC, forest department, one representative from all hospitals and two from NGO. These teams will coordinate between the administration and hospitals. It also make surprise visits to dedicated Covid hospitals.”
The minister also directed the NMC to double the number of testing centres. GMCH and IGGMCH have been told to open post-Covid centre and call centre. He also urged people to medicines to boost immunity and suggested various household remedies.
Radhakrishnan informed about NMC’s plan to increase testing centres from 34 to 50 soon. He said each centre will collect minimum 100 swab samples in a day.