No Metro, No Buses, No shops: It’s a 24-hr ‘Janata Curfew’ in Telangana Tomorrow..!

Hyderabad: The ‘Janata Curfew’, called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Sunday (March 22), will be much longer in duration in Telangana than anywhere else in the country. Making the self-imposed lockdown a bit more elaborate, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao proposed a 24-hour-long ‘Janata Curfew’ on Sunday instead of the 14-hour exercise called by the prime minister.

Addressing the media here on Saturday (March 21), KCR announced that the Janata Curfew would be in force in the state from 6 am Sunday (March 22) till 6 am Monday (March 23). Calling social distancing and ‘stay-at-home’ initiatives during the curfew as a matter of ‘social responsibility’ on the part of every citizen, the chief minister sought the cooperation of everyone in this regard.

He said that all services including metro trains, RTC buses besides shops and commercial establishments would remain closed throughout this period. “Only emergency services will be available for the public during this time,” he asserted.

In view of the 24-hour people’s curfew, buses plying from other states into Telangana will be denied entry on Sunday (March 22), the chief minister said adding, five buses per each bus depot will be kept ready for operating emergency services. Similarly, five metro trains will be used for emergency operations, he said.

KCR said that the total number of Coronavirus-positive cases in Telangana has gone up to 21. More than 11,000 people have been sent to quarantine centres as part of the state government’s relentless efforts to curb the spread of the killer COVID-19 disease.

The Telangana chief minister stressed particularly on the need for people coming from abroad to fully cooperate with the state government. He urged all of them to voluntarily go in for self-isolation to help the official machinery effectively control the virus from spreading within families and communities.

KCR also had a special word of advice for children below 10 years and old people above 60 years: He appealed to them not to step outside during the entire period of the ‘Janata Curfew’.

The staff of the chief minister’s office also took special care during KCR’s press conference where journalists were seen seated about two feet apart from one another.

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