Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the State will immediately raise a volunteer force of able-bodied persons between the age of 22 and 40 to rush food, provision and physical aid to persons under lockdown.
The government hoped to recruit 2.35 lakh persons through online registration. Health authorities would examine them for illness and train them on how to help people in the time of the outbreak without jeopardising their health. The government would give them protective gear and meet their travel and food expenses, Mr. Vijayan said here on Thursday
Each panchayat would have 200 volunteers, municipalities around 500 and Corporations almost 750 workers. The volunteers would fan out in neighbourhoods to locate those in need and help them.
They should look out for homeless people, aged citizens without familial support, needy persons and those whose lives have been disrupted by the outbreak. The ‘Sannadha Sena’ should rush to their aid and ensure nobody went without food, medicines and State support.
Mr. Vijayan said community kitchens were mushrooming across the State to ensure that no family or homeless persons went hungry during the lockdown. Hotels and catering services have offered their services to assist the local self-government institutions (LSGIs).
He said those without ration cards could get provision free at ration shops, provided they furnished their Aadhaar cards. Mr. Vijayan warned the police against restricting individuals from venturing out to procure provision, medicines and other essentials for their families.
Citizens should mandatorily carry an affidavit detailing their reason for travel on their person. He warned the police against closing bakeries and preventing pharmaceutical suppliers from transporting medicines to retailers.
The government would operate fleets of trucks on a convoy basis to help wholesalers import essential commodities from production centres in other regions and free up provision and pulses languishing in seaports.
Mr. Vijayan warned traders against hiking the prices of commodities or creating artificial shortage to squeeze profits. He told traders that the government would ease restrictions on home delivery soon.
Mr. Vijayan said online sale of legal alcohol was not on the cards currently. However, the clampdown on liquor sale had immediately spawned networks that profited from bootleg, illicit spirit and moonshine. He ordered the Excise Department to be extra vigilant.
Mr. Vijayan sought a moratorium on loans for a minimum of three months and more time to register vehicles and remit various taxes. He also exempted warehouses and godowns from the 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. lockdown.
