Tablighi Jamaat: 22K isolated, says Centre
Nearly 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts have been quarantined across the country so far, a home ministry official said on Saturday.
During the daily briefing, Punya Salila Srivastava, a joint secretary in the Union Home Ministry, told reporters that the Union government undertook “massive efforts” in coordination with states to trace the Jamaat members and their contacts to contain the spread of Covid-19. All issues related to the ongoing lockdown are being monitored by a 24x7 control room of the Ministry of Home Affairs here, she said, adding that about 200 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Central Armed Police Forces are linked to it on the ground level.
The officer said all measures to implement the three-week nationwide lockdown, set to end on April 14, have been effective till now and the supply of essential goods and services has been “satisfactory”.
Union Home Secretary
Ajay Bhalla has written to states and Union Territories to ensure that the supply chain of essential items is not obstructed during the lockdown period, she said.
The first installment of ~11,092 crore under the state disaster response fund was released by the MHA on Friday. States can utilise this money for ensuring aid to migrant workers and other calamityrelated work, she said.
States and UTS are running relief camps for migrant workers and all those affected by the pandemic in coordination with NGOS and other community groups, she added.
Meanwhile in Telangana, a Covid-19 positive state government official has been booked for not disclosing his attendance at the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, police said on Saturday.
The official is currently undergoing treatment in the state-run Gandhi Hospital, Jangoan police inspector D Mallesh said, adding, the case was booked on Friday.
The man, working in the District Rural Developmentagency (DRDA) of Jangoan, participated in the religious congregation in Delhi on March 15 without permission or leave and returned three days later.
Further, he did not take any precautionary measures and moved in public as well as attended duty, Mallesh said. A case under Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life,) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC was booked against the official, police said. The Telangana government had recently announced that whoever had attended the religious meeting at Nizamuddin West in the national capital should inform the health department officials or police and undergo tests for coronavirus.