Manipur government declare total shut down till March 31
Ration card, CMHT card holders to get PDS item free of cost; Grocery shops and emergency service exempted
Source: IT News

Imphal, March 23 2020: After getting positive response to the call for Janata Curfew across the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to collectively fight the spread of Coronavirus, which is haunting the entire planet, Manipur government announced total shut down till March 31 .

Spokesperson of the state government Th Bishwajit, while talking to a group of media persons at his official quarters today morning said that the decision to extend the total shut down was taken during state cabinet meeting held today at the Chief Minister's office.

"The state cabinet meeting held today with Chief Minister on the chair after deliberation had decided to enforce total shut down till March 31", Bishwajit said while adding that the government too knows that people will face various hardship particularly to those who are living on hand to mouth.

For that the cabinet has decided to distribute the share of PDS items to all NFSA card holders and those with CMHT cards for month of April in advance at free of cost.

"As the government is serious about those people who are living on hand to mouth the state cabinet has decided to hand over the PDS item share for the month of April in advance to NFSA card holders as well as to CMHT card holders", Bishwajit said.

The state cabinet also resolved to exempt the grocery shops and shops selling essential commodities to be open so that people do not face problem in buying their daily needs, however, the government spokesperson appealed the people to come out only one person from a family to buy the essential items.

"Either in Rural or in Urban area all grocery shops and those selling vegetable should be open", The spokesperson of the Manipur government who is also the Works and Power Minister said to reporters.

All those who are in health care service, essential services including electricity water supply are relaxed from the total shut down.

The cabinet meeting also resolved that those in the Medical department should make sure to identify people and conduct home quarantine with strict surveillance.

The Directors of RIMS and the JNIMS had also been advice to utilize the dedicated buildings as isolation wards for time being.

Regarding the unavailability of hand sanitizers, Minister Bishwajit said that some PHD scholars of the Manipur University had produced hand sanitizers and the government after verification with experts will make them prepare soon.

However, he said that frequent washing of hands with soaps is also useful and people need not worry as long as they follow the guideline.

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