Home Secretary Directs All States to Abide by 'Janata Curfew' Rules

New Delhi, March 21, 2020:

Home Secretary, India Ajay Bhalla has urged the Chief Secretaries of all the States and Union Territories of the country to religiously follow the ‘Janata Curfew’ declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.

On March 22, India will go on a temporary lockdown of 14 hours, starting from 7 AM to 9 PM in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Following the declaration on March 19, the Home Secretary has issued a statement directing all the administrators of the States to ensure minimum movement of the public on the streets.

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“As you are aware, Hon’ble Prime Minister, during his Address to the Nation on 19.03.2020 on combating COVID-19, requested all citizens to observe ‘Janta’ curfew (a curfew imposed for the people, by the people, on the people themselves) from 7 AM until 9 PM on this Sunday, the 22^nd March 2020. During this curfew, no one apart from those involved with essential services is supposed to venture out of home,” said Ajay Bhalla in the statement.

He also stressed on the important roles played by medical staff, police, government servants, airline staff, media persons and others who have risked their lives to bring the situation in India under control. “To pay gratitude to their selfless service to the nation during such trying times, Prime Minister has desired that on March 22 at 5 PM, all citizens should acknowledge and salute their efforts by standing in the balconies or at the doors of their houses and clap or ring bells for five minutes as a show of appreciation,” said the Chief Secretary.

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All the States and Union Territories have been requested to ring a siren at 5 PM on Sunday. “Urban Local Bodies, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Fire Services, Police Services, Civil Defence and Industrial Establishments, etc. should be advised to ring a siren at 5.00 pm on 22^nd March for intimation of all citizens,” read the statement by the Home Sceretary.

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