It was the first day of complete lockdown in Nagpur, and city witnessed new COVID-19 cases close to 2,000 on Monday. As one educationist rightly said, Government has only weapon that is of lockdown. Nobody has thought over whether lockdown would have any impact on coronavirus or not. Administration feels it would help in reducing the new cases. On Monday, confusion among all the agencies of Government reigned supreme over the implementation of lockdown. City roads looked a bit deserted, but one cannot claim that traffic was completely stopped.

 

Markets remained closed. Administration claimed that coaching institutions, schools, colleges, training institutes, religious programmes, cultural, social programmes, restaurants, malls, hotels, swimming pools, theatres, private establishments, gardens, gyms, liquor observed total closure. The picture was a little different. Lack of co-ordination among Government agencies was visible as city police kept closing some roads and then opening the same in the evening. For example, the police first closed the road between Morris T-Point and Variety Square during daytime resulting in rising the traffic burden on Gowari flyover.

 

 

The police themselves changed their decision in the evening and closed the flyover for traffic after opening the road near the flyover. In both cases people had to suffer from the traffic chaos as the whole traffic was shifted either on bridge or on road. This was somewhat illogical, said one commuter while talking to ‘The Hitavada’. At some places police had to face some stiff opposition from the vegetable vendors. They stood and argued with the police questioning them how would they feed their families if the shops remained closed. Some liquor shops seen selling the liquor secretly. These shops though remained closed, the liquor was sold without being noticed by the enforcing agency.

 

The shops selling milk, vegetables, fruits, vaccination centres, petrol pumps, gas agencies, grocery shops. Otherwise peaceful areas like Civil Lines, Seminary Hills, Friends colony, GPO square, TV Tower, Akashvani square, part of Amravati road, Ravibhavan, Sadar Police station etc wore a deserted look. But the market areas like Mahal, Itwari, Gandhibag, Railway station, Ganeshpeth bus stand, Medical square, Deonagar, Khamla, Jaripatka, Cotton Market, Gandhisagar lake, Tilak putla, Sakkardara square, part of Buldi etc had some public out. Some small shop-vendors too remained open. Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar took a round of some parts of city to check the bandobast. At several places Deputy Commissioners of Police of various zones were operating and guiding the police force regarding monitoring the lockdown. Administration has made it clear, people traveling from outside districts or rural part should not come to Nagpur unless there is some very important work. In case the work compels people to come to Nagpur then they must possess necessary documents, personal identification etc.

 

Police has urged people not to argue with the policemen if stopped. Dr Nitin Raut, Guardian Minister has urged people to cooperate with the administration. He said, “People have responded to our call with positivism. I am aware of the fact that people are suffering. But we too don’t have any option than to implement. District is working on three point agenda viz Tracking, Testing and Treatment. The testing centres too have been increased. The vaccination too has taken speedy momentum.”

 

Police to allow BEd students to appear in off-line exam The winter 2019 examinations of remaining two papers of B.Ed first semester, being conducted by Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University will be held on March 18 and 20,2021. It was predecided and number of students too is less. Considering the present lockdown, the university has appealed Municipal Commissioner, Commissioner of Police, Superintendent of Police of all districts to not to stop students from going at their respective examination centres on these two days. The authorities can check the admit card. Students will have to keep their examination admit card and personal identity card with them, appealed Dr Praful Sable, Director, Board of Examinations and Assessment, RTMNU.