HARIPUR: The Haripur and Charsadda districts witnessed a partial lockdown and suspension of business and social activities on Tuesday as part of fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

In Haripur, the police blocked entry and exit points in the district and some important turnarounds within the urban and rural areas across the district on the first day of suspension of inter-district public transport.

Though private vehicles and goods transport were exempted from the restriction, traffic police were seen engaged in arguments with motorists and truckers.

According to a press release issued from the office of district police officer Syed Ashfaq Anwar, the traffic police have impounded at least 50 public transport vehicles that included vans, pickups, buses and rickshaws on the charges of flouting the ban.

While 25 wedding halls, shop and hotels were also sealed and the owners arrested as they were found violating section 144.

47 wheat flour sale points set up in Haripur

Meanwhile, following suspension of transport the food authority on Tuesday established 47 wheat flour sale points in Haripur city and surrounding areas.

According to a list issued from the office of district food controller, Haripur, these 47 sale points would get 30 to 120 bags daily as per their shop and business size.

Talking to mediapersons, assistant food controller Shakil Ahmed said that the total 6,000 bags each of 20kg wheat flour would be available on daily basis for customers at the designated sale points at subsidised rate of Rs808 per bag.

Answering a question, he said that in case the flour supply from Punjab was suspended due to transportation issue the district had enough stock of wheat to cater to the needs of the residents.

In Charsadda, Commissioner Peshawar division Amjad Ali Khan examined quarantine centres during his visit as partial lockdown continued on Tuesday in the district.

The officials briefed the commissioner on measures taken by the district administration to cope with the situation amid outbreak of coronavirus. The commissioner told deputy commissioner Adil Shah to set up a control room and present a report to him on daily basis.

Later, the DC told mediapersons that the district administration was utilising all resources to deal with the situation in the aftermath of the coronavirus threat. He said that staff of all departments had been put on high alert to cope with any emergency.

Mr Shah said that village council secretaries and revenue officials had been tasked to collect data of working class and daily wagers to provide financial package to the deserving people. Meanwhile, partial lockdown continued Umarzai, Sar Dheri, Tangi and others areas of Charsadda as public transport remained off the roads.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2020