People using old passes to violate lockdown unfortunate: DC Sgr

Says passes issued by District Admin also being misused, Urges people to cooperate at this crucial juncture, says entire admin on roads to serve people

Nasir Azam

Srinagar, Apr 27  Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary Monday said curfew passes issued by the administration are being misused which is damaged the very motive of the administration to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. He said people are using old passes issued in year 2014 and 2016 to violation lockdown guidelines which is very unfortunate as entire administration is on roads to protect the people.

Talking exclusively to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Dr Shahid said that 30 per cent passes were issued to the essential services departments. “But 90 per cent of the curfew passes issued are being misused by the people. We have observed people are using old passes issued in 2014 and 2016. They have kept these passes in laminated form with old signatures and only dates have been changed,” he said.

The DC Srinagar told KNO that doctors were given red coloured passes with an aim that they will show the same to the men on ground from distance so that they are not stopped. “But we have seen these red passes with names changed and copies of passes,” he said. “For instance, if an employee is given a pass to travel on a particular stretch, he is seen travelling on a different stretch.”

Similarly, he said that passes issued to the medical emergency departments are also being copied. “At the same time, people carry old prescriptions of patients and old x-rays. There is 90 per cent violation which is damaging the very effort of the district administration to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” the DC Srinagar said adding that people should cooperate with the district administration. “Even if one per cent of citizens come out on roads that would damage the very motive of efforts the Srinagar district administration is doing to curb the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

The district administration has so far acted against 200 people whose licenses have been seized and many efforts have been registered so far against those having fake curfew passes. At many places in Srinagar, DC himself checked vehicles and directed the officers to act against the violations under Disaster Management Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC)