Amid growing cases of COVID-19 infections in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday moved out in Bhopal alone, without the usual security protocol, to thank the personnel engaged in maintaining essential services.
The chief minister, who is currently working alone in the absence of a cabinet of ministers, went around some prominent localities in city and also interacted with common people who were out to buy essentials like vegetables and medicines, urging them to take all precautions and maintaining social distance.
Chouhan himself wore a mask and hand gloves and maintained distance from personnel and people while interacting with them. Earlier, he urged media persons, who got a hint of his proposed visit, not to accompany him because of the lockdown and norms of social distancing.
The total number of infections in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 33 with seven new cases reported in the past 24 hours. Of these, 19 cases are in Indore, where two deaths were also reported. Indore reported four new cases, Jabalpur two and Bhopal one new case. The total in Jabalpur now stands at 8 while three cases in total in Bhopal.
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Looking at the surge in positive cases in Indore, a special team of IAS officers Vivek Agrawal, Manish Singh and Avinash Lavania have been deputed to keep watch on the situation and take all due action.
The chief minister went to the Bittan Market area and interacted with police personnel there, thanking them for their services. Here, he also spoke to the fruit vendors and asked then to ensure that buyers maintained the social distancing protocols and other precautions. Then in Kolar area, the CM thanked the sanitation workers while in Shahpura also he thanked the police personnel on duty. He also met some health workers at a private hospital, though maintaining a good distance.
The CM's decision to move around in the city during the lockdown has, however, attracted criticism from the Congress. Party spokesman and media coordinator of ex-CM Kamal Nath, Narendra Saluja, questioned whether the action of Chouhan was justified and whether the move did not jeopardise the health of the chief minister, his family members, his security personnel and staff. This is happening when everyone is following the lockdown protocols after the prime minister's appeal and working from home, Saluja said.
Interim bail to convicts
The state government on Saturday decided to give interim bail to convicts who are serving terms of less than five years. This move is aimed at reducing the crowding in state jails so that the infection can be controlled.
The state government has also issued orders to facilitate the movement of the daily wage and migrant workers who want to return to their homes. Nodal officers have been appointed in all districts and people have been urged to call helplines 104 and 181 and control room 0755-2411180 for help.
On Friday, the government also issued orders to close down all liquor outlets in the state indefinitely after getting complaints of crowding at the outlets.
