Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is making all out efforts to help the people of the state now under lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis.
Hemant Soren is holding regular meetings with officials and keeping track of the situation. He is also extending a helping hand through his Twitter handle.
“As you know, there is lockdown in the country and in the state. Today country is passing through lurid infection. The lockdown has been imposed as preventive measure. Everyone should stay wherever they are. The state govt is ensuring that the essential items reach to you,” said Hemant Soren on Saturday.
Jharkhand has issued helpline numbers of the police and district administration officials in all the 24 districts. Till now no positive case has been reported in the state. The tests of 137 people have been found negative.
The state govt has directed officials to gather concrete information regarding the number of people who are trapped in other states alongwith their addresses so that help can be provided to them. The state will give money directly to them. Jharkhand is also organising counselling fot its people who are outside of the state.
In a bid to make the lockdown a success, officials have been directed to develop a food supply chain from cities to far flung areas. The Deputy Commissioners have been asked to form a supply chain consisting of 1000 people who should be given the name of Apaka Mitra who will be providing daily items door to door.
The state govt is also trying to ensure that the ration shops have enough stocks.
Soren directed packaging of dry rations on a war footing and linking it to the supply chain.
Jharkahnd DGP M.V. Rao has directed the SPs of all districts to make food arrangements for the poor. He has ordered that community kitchens be set up in police station premises in coordination with the food and civil supplies department.
The DGP also asked the officials to prepare district wise list of the people who are coming from outside and also make arrangements for them to reach their homes.
In Ranchi, the district administration has tied up with Suvidha Kendra and Big Bazar for ration supply. The municipal corporation is making efforts to clean the cities and districts.
The Jharkhand health department has set up a 557-bed isolation ward for coronavirus patients. Out of these 96 are in Medical Colleges, 200 are in Sadar Hospital and another 261 in private hospitals.
The lockdown is being implemented strictly in the state, though people throng vegetable shops early in the day. A state-level coordination centre has been set up at the Information and Public Relations Department (IPRD) to track corona-related complaints.
Hemant Soren, Ranchi BJP MP Sanjay Seth and others have donated for measures to deal with coronavirus in the state.
Soren has donated Rs 25 lakh from his legislator local area fund to the Sahebganj administration. Ranchi BJP MP Sanjay Seth has contributed Rs 1 crore from the local area MP fund to the Ranchi administration.
The Chief Minister has appealed to the people to contribute to the Mukyamantri Rahat Kosh (MRK).
The Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) has contributed Rs 51 lakh to MRK.
Hemant Soren has also spoken to his counterparts in Delhi, Chhattisgarh and other states to help people trapped in their states.