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PUNJAB CM RULES OUT LOCKDOWN, SAYS CURRENT RESTRICTIONS ALREADY STERN

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday again ruled out a complete lockdown, noting that the restrictions currently in place were more stringent than the lockdown conditions in many other states, and announced a series of relaxations and relief measures to alleviate the woes of various sections of the people amid the prolonged crisis. […]

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday again ruled out a complete lockdown, noting that the restrictions currently in place were more stringent than the lockdown conditions in many other states, and announced a series of relaxations and relief measures to alleviate the woes of various sections of the people amid the prolonged crisis.

Virtually chairing a cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister compared the Punjab restrictions with the curbs in place in states like Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala, among others, and pointed out that it was not necessary to impose a total lockdown.

The relaxations announced include phased opening of shops, and various incentives for the housing sector, including a three-month extension in the permission period of construction of plots/projects for allotments, whether private or allotted, by state urban development authorities.

Amid spiralling Covid cases, the Chief Minister ordered limiting the number of teachers in government schools to 50%, with the rest taking online classes from home. He also directed the Food Department to prepare 5 lakh additional food packets for distribution among Covid patients, to ensure that every patient individually gets a packet even where there is more than one patient in a family. The state government has also announced an additional 10 kg atta for 1.41 crore Smart Ration Card beneficiaries. The food aid is in addition to the 1 lakh food kits, containing 10 kg atta, 2 kg chana and 2 kg sugar, already sanctioned for all poor people testing positive with Covid-19. It is also additional to the food aid announced by the Government of India.

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