Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 20: Expressing dismay over the orders of the govt to open up govt offices from today despite its announcements of a more rigorous lockdown, Harsh Dev Singh chairman JKNPP and former minister said that it only demonstrated the confusion prevalent in the higher echelons of power.
With the number of infected cases growing with each passing day, the focus of the govt should have been upon containment of the pandemic through stricter enforcement of social distancing norms, he said. Prevention of community spread needed to have been the priority of the govt at this critical juncture rather than opening those offices which are not connected with immediate needs of the public, said Singh.
“The assembly of the office staff at their places of work could nullify the success achieved by the corona warriors in containing the virulent disease. The offices have also not been sanitized which could jeopardize the lives of not only the employees but their family members as well. Moreover not all govt employees have own vehicles and public transport is also off the roads. The decision of the govt in such circumstances is therefore ill conceived, unwarranted and speaks of lack of application of mind”, asserted the NPP chairman.
Urging upon the govt to allow the functioning of only those offices related to essential services, Singh said that opening of all other private as well as govt offices could wait till the third of May, the deadline announced by the Prime Minister as well.
“The people in general are co-operating in the lockdown even at the cost of their livelihood. The traders, professionals and even others have preferred to keep off their business routine despite incurring monetary and other losses. This needs to be respected by one and all including the govt which should not take hasty decisions pertaining to govt employees which could have adverse fallouts. Besides the govt has to be extra cautious particularly in districts, tehsils and blocks which have been categorized as red zones or have reported cases of viral infection”, said Singh.
Expressing gratitude to the doctors, nurses, paramedicos, police force and those related to provision of essential services, Singh called for providing a life cover of at least one crore for such corona warriors. “Remember they are fighting a deadly war not for themselves but for others. And unfortunately several of such warriors have contracted the disease. Not only have their gigantic services to be seriously applauded but their morales need to be kept high. This is not only the moral responsibility but a sacred duty of all, the people as well as the govt”, observed Singh.
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