MHA directives violated: Central teams find fault in Pune, Jaipur

New Delhi: Central teams which visited Pune and Jaipur have alleged that they found violations in directions given on social distancing, quarantine centres and lockdown measures and urged local authorities to have “institutional quarantine among slum dwellers instead of home quarantine” and also ensure “better supply of essential goods and services”.

The Pune team observed that the Covid-19 doubling rate was high and the state administration needed to take additional measures to contain the pandemic immediately by tracing high-risk persons, upgrading surveillance and contract tracing. It urged local authorities to shift those under home quarantine in slums to institutional quarantine to prevent further spread of virus. On reports of persons involved in supply of essential goods and services testing positive, the central teams directed authorities to ensure health protocols as those involved in supply chain come in contact with a large number of people.

The team that visited Jaipur interacted with chief secretary, among others, and asked the state government to immediately check movement of people in the walled city after sunset. “We have advised the Rajasthan government to ensure that lockdown measures were not violated in the walled city, particularly in the evening. They have also been directed to ensure better supply of essential goods and services while maintaining social distancing, hygiene and sanitation,” a senior MHA official told ET. The central team told the Rajasthan government to shift quarantine centres out of residential areas to prevent the spread of the pandemic.


However, the Rajasthan government expressed surprise with the findings. “The central team which visited Jaipur were all praise for us. They commended our efforts in adhering to all the central guidelines in controlling the spread of the virus. I haven’t come across any such report and it is difficult for me to comment without seeing it. However, if they have said so, I am surprised,” a senior official told ET when contacted.

A state government official in Pune by and large agreed with the findings of the IMCT and added that hospital management was not good and that doctors were not still clear about clinical procedures to be followed. The Maharashtra government, however, appointed on Monday four senior IAS officers to work with the city commissioner for an effective fight against the pandemic. In another development Union home ministry joint secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that over 2,800 special economic zones and 350 export oriented units started operations since April 20, after the lockdown was relaxed.

(Inputs: Kumar Anshuman, Krishna Thevar and PTI)