Coronavirus: UP panel to suggest ways to boost economy during lockdown

Another committee to draw roadmap on harvest and procurement of potato and wheat; state police to book offender under NSA for hoarding and black marketing

Following the industrial and commercial lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government today formed a panel to suggest measures to steer the state’s economy through the difficult socioeconomic matrix.

The committee headed by the state additional chief secretary (ACS) has been constituted at the directive of chief minister Adityanath.

The panel would draft an action plan to support and strengthen the state’s economy in the backdrop of the tough economic costs of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown, UP ACS (home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi told the media in Lucknow this evening.

Besides, another committee of the principal secretaries of agriculture and food has been formed to draw the roadmap on the harvest and procurement of potato and wheat in the coming season.

Meanwhile, the UP Police have registered 2,802 first information reports (FIR) under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for defying government orders under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

Awasthi said 8,649 persons had been issues challans in the 2,802 FIRs lodged by the police across the state. “The police also checked 286,000 vehicles during the lockdown period, of which about 69,000 vehicles were challaned for violating the orders.”

Meanwhile, fine amounting to Rs 1.44 crore were also imposed on 16,000-odd vehicle owners in the state.

The state government has warned against black marketing and hoarding of essentials such as food, medicines etc and said the police would book offenders under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

The government has already lodged six FIRs after receiving complaints of black marketing and the process of taking similar actions would gather momentum in the coming days, he warned.

So far, 42 coronavirus positive cases have been identified in UP, of which 11 have been cured. There are eight functional coronavirus testing facilities in the state, while the government intends to create total 20,000 isolation beds for patients in the coming days. A total of 30,000 suspected cases are under surveillance while quarantined at home.