COVID-19: Direct action against people concealing travel history: Chief Secretary

Srinagar, 23rd March, CNS: In order to further strengthen and upscale the offensive against COVID-19 spread, the Government today ordered the release of Rs. 40 crore additionally to all Deputy Commissioners to support their corona mitigation efforts.
According to CNS monitoring desk the decision was taken in a high-level meeting in Jammu on Monday. The meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam.
Principal Secretary, Home, Shaleen Kabra; Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development, Dheeraj Gupta; Principal Secretary, Planning & Development & Information, Rohit Kansal; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma; Inspector General, Jammu zone Mukesh Singh; Secretary, PDD, M Raju; Secretary, DMRR, Simrandeep Singh and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, P. K. Pole; IGP, Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar and senior officers of Kashmir province attended the meeting through video conferencing.
The meeting also decided to release Rs One crore to the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department to augment drinking water supply in the Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations, it was decided, would also be released additional Rs. 50 lakh each to augment their sanitation efforts. Other Municipal Committees of the J&K would also be released additional funds accordingly, it was also decided.
Taking a very serious note of reports of some travellors skipping screening and self-declaration at arrival points or falsifying any information regarding their travel, the Chief Secretary directed strict checking at entry points of Qazigund and Lower Munda besides at other entry points, airports and bus stands. Action, he said, should be initiated against those putting others at risk.
The meeting also decided that advance ration for two months viz. April and May would be issued to all eligible consumers. Besides, one month’s ration for Mid-Day Meals would also be given in advance to all parents of eligible children.
The Chief Secretary also directed to keep all treasuries in Jammu & Kashmir open to facilitate drawing of bills in view of the closure of the financial year