No religious congregation permitted without any exception: DM

Srinagar: In view of the surfacing of four more coronavirus positive cases in the district on Wednesday, the District Magistrate Bandipora, Shahbaz Ahmad Mirza, has ordered strict imposition of restrictions in the district.
According to the order issued by District Magistrate under Section 144 of CrPC, there shall be complete closure of all places of worship.
“No religious congregation shall be permitted without any exception. However, in case of funerals, congregation of not more than 20 persons will be permitted’, the order reads.
The order further reads that no movement of persons, assembly, gathering or procession shall be allowed in the whole district including towns and villages and no public and private transport shall ply in the District till 14th of April, 2020.
The DM also ordered a complete shutdown of all the offices except Health, Police, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency Service, Disaster Management and Prisons.
District Administration, Treasury, Electricity, Water & Sanitation, government employees on assigned duties related to containment of spread of Corona Virus have been asked to work with minimum number of employees after obtaining movement passes.
There shall be complete shutdown in the district and all private and public establishments shall remain shut except those dealing with essential services and commodities as notified earlier, which shall be provided passes for minimal staff required for the operations.
The Law enforcing agencies have been asked to ensure strict implementation of the order and strict action against violators.
The order further states that the decision to impose strict restrictions has been taken as a preventive measure in view of the increased number of coronavirus positive cases in the district.
DC Bandipora appealed the general public to cooperate with the administration and ensure strict adherence to the order warning that the violation of the order would constitute criminal offence and attract strict action under Section 188 of IPC.
The district administration has put in place a mechanism to ensure uninterrupted supplies and deliveries of essential services to the general public of the district. He said essential commodities will be home-delivered to residents as part of this mechanism.