Team Herald
PANJIM: As the nation is under complete lockdown to battle the spread of Wuhan-originated COVID-19, the Transport Department has stalled registration process of vehicles and temporarily suspended the fitment of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP).
“Life is more important than the non-essential services. The government is adhering to the guidelines issued by the Centre and concerned agencies to contain COVID-19 epidemic in the country. All the government departments are following the same,” a senior officer said.
The process for registration of new vehicles, renewal of licences, learner’s licence, etc, has been stalled since Monday, the second day of the lockdown and first working day after the Janta Curfew on March 22.
The fitment of the HSRP and appointments for the fixing of the high security number plates on vehicles, registered with the department before April 2019, has also been suspended till the lockdown period and/or further orders.
Herald contacted Transport Director Rajan Satardekar for a comment on the development, to which he said, “Section 144 CrPC is imposed in the State and similarly orders/circulars to battle the COVID-19 is issued by the government. We are following the orders.”
As per the guidelines, police, home guards, civil defence, fire & emergency services, disaster management, prisons, district administration, treasury, electricity department, water department, sanitation, municipal bodies (only staff required for essential services like sanitation, personnel related to water supply, etc) are exempted from the lockdown. Hospitals, medical establishments including its manufacturing and distribution units and related services are functional.
The National Disaster Management Authority has also taken COVID-19 as threat to the country. “The NDMA is satisfied that the country is threatened with the spread of COVID-19 epidemic, which has already been declared as pandemic by the World Health Organisation, and has considered it necessary to take effective measures to prevent its spread across the country and that there is a need for consistency in the application and implementation of various measures across the country while ensuring maintenance of essential services and supplies, including health infrastructure,” reads an extract of the order dated March 24, incidentally the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced nation-wide lockdown for 21 days.
“Goa government is following the NDMA orders, no separate protocols,” an officer said.
