Team Herald
PANJIM: As lockdown relaxation further eased in ‘Green Zone’ Goa since May 4, the State police have advised citizens to exercise restraint and practice social distancing to keep the contagion at bay.
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“People are advised to exercise restraint, follow lockdown norms and adopt established channels to redress their grievances. Any collection of more than four persons is prohibited under section 144 CrPC and is otherwise fraught with health risk,” said IGP, Jaspal Singh, on Tuesday.
Such activities, he said, increase demands on the already overstretched police and other emergency services. A significant proportion of police resources are diverted to respond to COVID-19 crisis and to support the health service. “COVID-19 crisis has stretched the capabilities and the capacities of the emergency response service including police but emergency services have delivered a coordinated professional response,” he said, while adding that ‘ a few groups have tried to exploit the crisis for their own ends and they have been appropriately dealt with.
The police have also urged the public not to gather unnecessarily and more particularly, not to venture out, from 7pm to 7am, as per the directions of the Centre.
With easing of restrictions and allowing people stranded in different parts of the country to return to their respective native place, most of the migrant labourers in Goa wish to head home.
Police lamented thatwith the wide use of social media, information – mostly false and unverified – are being circulated regarding the opening of State borders to facilitate the return of migrants. “Such messages, create a sense of panic amongst migrant labourers and in an effort not to miss the opportunity to return home in troubled times, the migrants have even made abortive bids to leave the State, sometimes by even undertaking a journey on foot to far flung railway stations in an effort to board a train,” the police added.
While the State has made provisions to facilitate the return of such people desirous of returning to their States, all police stations in the North under its SP Utkrisht Prasoon, has undertaken a massive exercise of extending all necessary co-operation and assistance to all labourers staying in different pockets or areas within the jurisdiction of their respective police stations. The SP along with his sub-ordinates has been visiting places where migrants are taking shelter and assured all assistance while also advising them to not panic based on false news.
