Chandigarh, April 17, 2020- Haryana Chief Secretary, Mrs. Keshni Anand Arora, while presiding over a Crisis Coordination Committee meeting today said that it was of utmost importance that balance is maintained between COVID-19 and the economy in view of the opening of commercial activities from April 19 onwards.
She informed that with the permission of certain additional activities to be carried out in the State from April 20, strict monitoring has to be ensured for the implementation of detailed guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GOI) on April 15, 2020. Every district has to prepare its plan providing for containment and non-containment zones. In containment zones no activity except essential services are allowed and even in non-containment zones we have to follow certain Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) as directed by the MHA, GOI.
She directed the Deputy Commissioners of the districts to constitute district level committees for the issuance of passes on first come first serve basis. She also said that with the opening of industries, the movement of people will increase making monitoring even more important and those providing essential services should be tested on priority to contain the infection.
She directed the concerned officers to ensure that when the labourers are moving from one place to the other for work they should undergo medical screening to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that the concerned authorities should maintain data of such labourers so that sub-camps can be set up in case they need to stay on-site. She said that proper monitoring and information system should be in place and a format should be provided for data collection and report be submitted every day. BDPOs and Joint Director-level officers should be included in the social auditing of the expenditures made regarding the relief camps, she added.
The Chief Secretary also directed the concerned officers to ensure that more dry rations are being distributed from the disaster management fund and government sector besides voluntary organisations and that cooked food was being provided to those who really needed it. She also directed that one set of clothing is to be provided to those in need. The labourers in the shelters should be productively employed as they can make masks or be occupied in other work. She said that production of masks should be increased through Self Help Groups.
She informed that a grievance redressal helpline will be set up by the Industries Department where industry can call and get information about the passes and other arrangements. She directed the Deputy Commissioners to appoint a Nodal officer to oversee the processes. She said that the opening of establishments will be done completely at the discretion of the Deputy Commissioners as they have to ensure that the infection doesn’t spread. She said that at the headquarters an oversight committee under the supervision of the Industries Secretary will be monitoring the process of districts very minutely.
She emphasized that voluntary associations like IMA should be encouraged but not pressurized to take up relief works and expenditure can be taken under COVID-19 relief funds and SRDF funds. Distribution of dry ration is encouraged and proper accounting of expenditures incurred be kept.
She said that to ensure the availability of material required for education, books or stationery shops should be allowed to open and operate in a staggered manner while ensuring that social distancing and proper personal hygiene and practice are followed and online education mechanism should also be devised to communicate with the students through audio and video clipping and to explore the possibility of delivering books at the doorstep.
She directed to monitor inter-state movement of people at borders very closely and Theekri Pehras to be organised in a more vigilant manner.
Giving more information about the same, Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and Planning Department, Mr. TVSN Prasad said that there are two kinds of passes which will be issued wherein a triangular special pass will be issued for industries of essential goods in containment zones and a rectangular ordinary pass which can be used in non-containment zones.
He also said that banks will be operational strictly adhering to social distancing norms and other guidelines issued by the Central Government.
He further said that the industries will be opened in a phased manner wherein it has to be ensured that the mandatory conditions of sanitization, use of masks and social distancing are fulfilled.
Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management and Consolidation Department, Mr. Dhanpat Singh said that there should be no exploitation of the migrant labour camps. He further said that the Police Department has to ensure that all guidelines and norms are being followed.
Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Medical Education and Research Department, Mr. Alok Nigam informed that ten COVID-19 patients in Nalhad Medical College have recovered and were discharged.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department-cum-Nodal Officer for COVID-19 (Corona), Mr. Rajeev Arora said that District Surveillance Officers have been given login IDs to ensure that the COVID-19 data of the district can be uploaded where the Deputy Commissioners and the Civil Surgeons too can view the information.
He further informed that PGI in Rohtak having capacity of 180 samples per day is able to successfully complete 500 samples with a pooling method. He said that with the testing machines which are expected sometime this week the capacity of PGI Rohtak will increase to 1000 samples per day using the pooling method.
He further informed that they will continue to test samples in accordance with the guidelines given by ICMR. He also said that they are expecting 10,000 rapid testing kits which will be used in hotspots of Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Nuh, and Panchkula. Random sampling of those workers who will start going to work in the industries will be done.
The Chief Secretary said that private clinics and health services should be sensitized to provide information to the Government regarding any COVID-19 suspect cases and follow up should be done and report be collected from Civil Surgeons at Headquarters in this regard. Mobile OPDs should be monitored and data be sent to Headquarters, she added.
While reviewing the status of procurement of Mustard the Chief Secretary appreciated the good work done by the Deputy Commissioners and officers incharge of the districts. She further directed that all the officers should start preparedness for Wheat procurement as well.
Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal while giving information on the preparation of procurement of Wheat crop starting from April 20, said that the employees from other departments who will be deployed at the procurement centres will be given training so that they are well acquainted with the procurement process. He said that one day before the procurement date the concerned officers will visit their respective centres and take stock of the availability of sanitizers, masks, etc.
He said that mapping of the centres has been started so that those visiting the centres, whether they are the Arthiyas, or farmers, or labourers do not face any trouble and there is no overcrowding. One supervisory officer will be stationed at every procurement centre who will give updates on the amount of wheat procured, he added.
He also said that procurement in containment zones will be carried out a little later.
