Ramakanta Biswas

Jharsuguda: A 7-day shutdown in the industrial town of Jharsuguda will come into effect from August 30, the district administration announced on Friday.

The move comes in the wake of a steep surge in the cases of COVID19 infection in the town in the last week. According to information by the district authorities, as many as 180 Coronavirus cases have been detected in Jharsuguda in the last 7 days.

As the rate of Covid19 positivity in the region is growing, the district administration aims to bring down the infection rate with shutdown restrictions.

A circular issued by the authorities mentions that apart from essential shops and services, all other activities will not be allowed in the town during the period till September 5.

WHAT IS ALLOWED & WHAT NOT

  1. Shutdown restriction applies to Jharsuguda Municipal town only.
  2. There will be no weekend shutdown on August 29 (Saturday). On the said day, other measures with regard to social distancing and night curfew and hours of business as ordered earlier will come into force.
  3. During the period, sale of grocery items, vegetables, milk, egg, fish, and other non-veg products will be permissible between 6 AM and 11 AM.
  4. Medicine shops will remain operational as usual.
  5. Except for medical emergency and allowed activities, only pedestrian movement will be allowed in the permitted hours.
  6. Since industries will be allowed to operate, the authorities concerned will ensure bus movement of workers as they do on the days of weekend shutdown.
  7. Banks will remain open and the concerned authorities will have to ensure social distancing both among themselves and the customers. No other ordinary movement will be allowed except to and from Airport and Railwav Station.
  8. Railway and Bank employees will move to their workplaces by their own conveyance including two-wheelers only on production of Identity Card.
  9. Movement for maintenance of other essential services like Telecom, Cable network, water supply, sanitation, repair of home appliances will be allowed.
  10. All other shops, establishments, and activities will remain shut during the shutdown.

ENFORCEMENT

There will be strict enforcement of all norms which stood prior to promulgation of this office order and the ones that will follow by this notification. Acts of violation will invite heavy monetary penalty, besides being sued under appropriate sections of IPC. Such penalties will be imposed for offences like not wearing masks, unauthorized movement, violation of social distancing, the opening of shops, spitting in public place, etc which will tantamount to deterrence.

Specific order for M/s. Bhusan Steel & Power Ltd. employees -

1/3rd employees of M/s BSPL staying in Jharsuguda whose list has already been obtained by the district administration will be home quarantined for ten days from August 31 to September 9. This arrangement of 10 days compulsory quarantine for the rest 2/3rd employees of M/s BSPL residing in Jharsuguda will be materialized in subsequent two phases. The Home Quarantine will be identified with stickering and in this period the family members of the concerned employees will remain limited to their premises unless there is exigency warranting eventual outing.

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