Dharamshala: To deal with the spread of Covid, The Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority-cum-District Magistrate, Kangra, Dr. Nipun Jindal has issued orders under section 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 that all marketplaces/malls/shops within the boundaries of District Kangra shall remain closed from 07:00 P.M till curfew hours ( Curfew hours in Kangra are 10PM to 5AM). However, Dhabas/eateries may remain open till 10:00 P.M. and the pharma shops may remain open 24 x7. The weekly closing day for all Marketplaces/Weekly Markets shall be Sunday throughout the district, irrespective of their local holiday.
The order says that all educational institutions (Government, Semi government or Private) which include Schools/Colleges/Universities/ Academic institutions/Engineering Polytechnic Colleges /ITIs/ Coaching Centers within the Administrative Jurisdiction of District Kangra will remain closed up to 26.01.2022 (including Residential schools). However, all Nursing and Medical colleges will remain open and will ensure observance of the COVID-19 SOPs and safety protocols issued by the Health Department.
It further said that all the offices of Government Departments/ PSUs/ local bodies/ Autonomous Bodies will remain closed on Saturdays & Sundays (5 working days a week) and during working days these offices will operate with the 50% of their workforce/employees and HODs/Controlling officers shall issue roster order accordingly, However, the offices dealing with emergency or essential services such as health, police, fire, banks, electricity, water & sanitation, public transport, telecom, excise, budget and related incident services/activities etc. will not the covered under aforesaid restriction.
All social and religious gatherings shall be completely prohibited in District Kangra and other gatherings/congregations like academic/ sports/ entertainment/ cultural/ political shall be permitted up to 50% of the capacity, subject to maximum of 100 persons in indoor built up/covered areas
According to the order, there will be a complete ban on langar, dham, collective kitchen. For sports, educational entertainment and cultural and political activities, the presence of a maximum of a hundred people will be allowed indoors with fifty percent capacity and the gathering of fifty percent of the capacity or maximum of three hundred people will be allowed outdoors.
COMPLIANCE to this order shall be ensured by the Superintendent of Police, Kangra, all Sub Divisional Magistrates, Kangra, Chief Medical Officer, Kangra, all Executive Magistrates, Kangra, all Block Medical Officers, Kangra, and public at large. Violation of this order shall attract provisions of section 51-60 of Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the violator shall be prosecuted accordingly.
THIS Order shall come in force with immediate effect in all parts of District Kangra and shall remain so till 6 AM of 24?h January 2022, the district magistrates notification states.
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 20 years of experience.
He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI.
In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism award. He reports on the Tibetan Government in Exile, politics, sports, tourism and other topics. He lives in Dharamshala.
