Amarinder rules out complete lockdown
CHANDIGARH: Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh again ruled out a complete lockdown in the state and announced phased opening of shops after some of his cabinet colleagues said there was resentment among traders over selective closure of shops amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
Announces phased opening of shops
The CM said restrictions currently in place in Punjab were more stringent than the lockdown conditions in many other states. Chairing a virtual cabinet meeting, Amarinder announced a series of relaxations, including phased opening of shops and various incentives for the housing sector, such as three-month extension in permission period for construction of plots/projects for allotments, whether private or allotted, by the state urban development authorities.
Amarinder also ordered limiting of the number of teachers in government schools to 50%, with the rest taking online classes from home.
He directed the state food department to prepare five lakh additional food packets for distribution among Covid patients, besides announcing additional 10kg atta (wheat flour) for 1.41 crore smart ration card beneficiaries.
The CM said to meet the urgent needs of the people at the local level, the sarpanches have been authorised to spend up to Rs 5,000 per day, subject to a maximum of Rs 50,000, out of the panchayat funds for providing emergency relief by way of food and medicines to the poor.
The cabinet also approved one-time relaxation in the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964, for transfer of 5 acres of panchayat land in Mohali to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the establishment of the National Institute of Virology for North Zone.
Thrust sector status for O2 production units
The cabinet announced thrust sector status for all oxygen product units, while appointing a nodal officer to coordinate with the customs department for quick clearance of foreign aid. The CM said with the way things were going currently, the situation was likely to worsen in the coming days, with nobody knowing how many more waves of Covid would hit the country and the state.