JORHAT, March 25 - In view of the lockdown enforced in the district since 6 pm of Tuesday, the Jorhat district administration from today has imposed certain restrictions on lifting of stocks by retailers from the wholesalers.
Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Roshni A Korati this evening while addressing mediapersons at the conference hall of the DC�s Office, stated that the administration in view of the emerging difficult situation has taken certain steps to ensure that essential food items were equally distributed among the retailers across the district.
Korati said that each retail shopkeeper will be allowed to lift stocks from wholesalers by maintaining a four-day gap on a rotational basis. She said the local traders� body will issue passes to the retailers to purchase stocks and maintain a record to see that four-day gap was maintained.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department will supervise the process and ensure that stocks were uniformly distributed in all localities, areas throughout the district.
Korati further said that after consultation with the Upper Assam Chamber of Commerce (UACC) � the prominent Jorhat-based body of traders � the district administration from today has fixed prices of different essential commodities for a period of seven days.
The prices will be reviewed again after seven days with the UACC and, if needed, will be revised. The Deputy Commissioner said if any complaint of shops selling items than the prescribed rates were found to be true then the administration will immediately take strong action like closing down the shop.
People could complaint about any such violations of district administration�s several order passed in recent times at the following WhatsApp no: 7086931228, the DC informed.
Korati also cautioned that if the grocery shops and pharmacies do not follow the direction given to mark red-coloured rings maintaining one metre distance for customers to stand and do not have handwash liquid or sanitizers then again stern action will be in initiated against such errant shopkeepers that may lead to closing down the shop.
She also said that people coming out buy medicines should have prescriptions or copy of the same.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the administration for the benefit of common people shortly will be allowing shopping malls to carry out home delivery of essential commodities on orders received over phone. The malls will be able to run the service within five kilometre radius from their locations.
Korati said similarly the administration was in the process of allowing vegetable vendors, milk vendors to carry out home delivery after issuing passes following screening tests of coronavirus done on them. The same procedure will be followed for newspaper hawkers too, the DC added.
Korati said the administration was daily reviewing the stock position of all essential items in the wholesale market as supply to several adjoining districts and also to Nagaland was done from Jorhat.
Funeral restriction: The DC said that a maximum of 20 people will be allowed for performing the last rites of a deceased person belonging to any religious community.
Total people screened: Altogether 5761 people coming to Jorhat district via flights, trains and by buses have been screened since the past two weeks and out of them 48 persons returned from abroad. A total of 1387 people were issued home isolation notices in the said period, Korati said.
Covid-19 preparedness: Korati said 45 beds were kept ready at JMCH to keep positive Covid-19 patients. There were 138 beds to admit suspected Coronavirus cases at JMCH, she added. The number of ICU beds for Corona cases was 12 and ventilation was 7, the DC added.
