Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that the weekend curfew will be similar to that of last year’s lockdown imposed across the State. Barricades would be erected on main roads, sub-main roads, and ward roads, and unnecessary movement of people would be strictly restricted.
Following instructions from Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Mr. Bommai held a video conference with zonal BBMP officials and Deputy Commissioners of Police of Bengaluru city and said vehicles would be sized and strict action would be taken against all those who violated the weekend curfew which would enforced from 9 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Monday.
Speaking to the media, the Minister said flyovers in the city would be closed and entry of vehicles to Bengaluru would be regulated during the weekend.
The government has announced the weekend curfew following a surge in COVID-19 cases in the State.
On the shortage of beds in Bengaluru city for COVID-19 patients, Mr. Bommai said the BBMP officials and DCPs of all eight zones in the city would work jointly to identify beds in hospitals zonal-wise. The government had secured 11,000 beds last year and this year it obtained 7,000 beds. The officials of both BBMP and Police Department have been instructed to identify 4,000 beds, particularly oxygen beds, in the next three days in their areas of jurisdiction.
The police have been told to ensure smooth movement of ambulances in the city and help hospital authorities to maintain law order on hospital premises. At present nearly 1,250 ambulances were moving around the city round the clock against 700 in the past.
On organising marriages, he said the police have been told to create boundaries at marriage halls and convention centres to ensure strict implementation of COVID-19 guidelines. Action would be taken against the owners of convention centres and marriage halls, including closure, if they violated guidelines.
The police officials have also been advised to sanitise police stations to prevent infection.
Revenue Minister R. Ashok, City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant and BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, BBMP zonal joint commissioners and DCPs attended the meeting.
