Hyderabad: Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali today inspected the measures being taken by the authorities concerned at the Hitech City, Raidurgam and other areas to check virus spread.
Later, the Home Minister visited the command control center and saw the visuals on TV screens on the skeletal movement of people on the roads. He also asked city police Commissioner Anjani Kumar and other top officials to ensure free movement of identity cards, pass holders, and permission letters. He appealed to people to stay indoors and fight against the virus spread. Ali said that the government has imposed lockdown till March 31 to check coronavirus spread.
Speaking to media persons later, the Home Minister said the situation was under control in the State and that the police has geared up to deal with the crisis effectively. On the instructions of Chief Minister, the police have started the Dial- 104 medical facilities of the Health Department for citizens to approach when in distress and need, he added.
He requested elderly persons to stay indoors and take complete rest. The Minister also warned the black marketeers of strict action under the Preventive Detention Act.
Talasani asks AP students not to worry, inspects shops, supermarket
Hyderabad: Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav today said a large number of students in various hostels will remain here safely like our children.
Srinivas Yadav appealed to parents and students, most of them from Andhra Pradesh, not to get scared. “The students are our children and hostels managements were instructed to take care of them. The State government has spoken to the hostels & managements to see that the students will not vacate”, he said. He also inspected several shops and a supermarket in the city in the wake of lockdown to fight against coronavirus spread. At the supermarket, the minister expressed his anguish at the owner for selling essential commodities with Rs 15 difference compared to other stores in the city.
The minister also warned the black marketers of severe action under PD Act against them if they failed to follow norms at crisis time. He said that the State government instructed the officials to take immediate action against such erring shops and markets for selling essentials at higher prices.
Earlier, the minister held a meeting with the hostel managements and their owners. The government will extend support to the hostels which will cooperate, he added.
Pawan donates Rs 2 Cr to fight Coronavirus
Mangalagiri: Film star and Janasena Party President Pawan Kalyan has announced a donation of Rs 2 crore to the Centre and the Telugu States for the cause of fighting the dreaded Coronavirus. He will hand over Rs 1 crore cheque to Prime Ministers’ Relief Fund and Rs 50 lakh each to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Chief Ministers’ Relief Fund. Pawan Kalyan has directed the senior party functionaries to make arrangements to hand over the donations.
Pawan suggested to the party functionaries to see that the donation must reach through a bank transfer as it may not be possible to hand over the donation in person in view of the nation-wide lockdown. It may be mentioned here that Pawan Kalyan donated Rs 1 crore to Sainik Welfare Board on February 20 for the families of soldiers who were martyred or injured in the war.
TPCC urges Telangana CS to extend trade license renewal deadline
Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Convenor G. Niranjan on Thursday urged the Chief Secretary of the State Somesh Kumar to extend the deadline for the renewal of trade licenses and stamping of petrol pump outlets by concerned traders in GHMC limits by keeping in view of the ongoing lockdown. He wrote a letter to the chief secretary on the issue. In his letter, he said that as per the rules and regulations, the trade licenses should be renewed every year by the end of March every year and added that penalties would be levied from April 1 on the traders if they failed to do so.
He also said that the petrol bunks have to get their delivery units stamped prior to their due date by weights and measures department of the state failing which they would have to shut down their delivering units from the operation. He said that in view of the Nationwide lockdown for 21 days due to the deadly coronavirus, he requested the chief secretary to direct the concerned authorities to extend the time for at least by 3 months for the renewal of the trade licenses and stamping of delivery units in petrol bunks. He said that the Kerala government had already issued orders extending the deadline by 3 months for renewal and stamping process. The party convenor has also attached the order copy of the same for the perusal of the CS.
Free ration to cardholders at doorsteps from March 29
Amaravati: People in Andhra Pradesh will get free ration at their door-steps on March 29 in view of the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, State Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Venkateswara Rao said. The cash assistance will be distributed to all ration card holders on April 4 through the village volunteers, Rao said and appealed to the public to cooperate with the government in containing the spread of COVID-19, which has so far affected eight people in the State.
The Chief Minister convened a review meeting on Wednesday. The meeting discussed ways to successfully implement the concept of social distancing while reducing hardships to the people of the State. Apart from decentralizing farm produce markets and bringing vegetable distribution closer homes in cities and towns, the government was making arrangements for maintaining social distancing at shops and other outlets.
The State government has also decided that people should be allowed outdoors, between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. only to purchase essential items which are to be made available within a 3-km radius. Apart from fixing the prices of vegetables and essential foodstuff, the government has decided to take serious action against those indulged in hoarding or hiking prices.