The district administration and police appear to be on a collision course over the implementation of the lockdown norms to contain COVID-19
The District Collector has asked the District Police Chief to remove all roadblocks in non-hotspot areas of Kannur district.
In a letter to District Police Chief (DPC) Yathish Chandra on Tuesday, Collector T.V. Subhash expressed his displeasure over the police designating containment zones and blocking roads in non-hotspot areas, inconveniencing people.
Based on a report of the District Medical Officer, the Collector said there was no need for containment zones as there was no community spread in the district.
Treatment denied
As roads were blocked in non-hotspot areas in the district, there had been an instance of an ambulance being rerouted and dialysis patients being made to go back without seeking treatment, the Collector said.
“The road blockades are putting lives of such people at risk.”
Pointing out that no decision was taken to divide the district into various containment zones, the Collector said such blockades had affected essential services and movement of ambulances and volunteers.
The Collector also directed the DPC to attend the daily review meeting at the Collectorate.
‘Nothing wrong’
Mr. Chandra told the media that the decision to create containment zones and the preventive action had been taken based on the orders of Inspector Generals (IG) of Police Ashok Yadav and Vijay Sakhare, the Special Officers deputed for COVID-19 prevention.
Explaining that there was nothing wrong in blocking roads and other police actions, he said further decisions would be taken in consultation with the officers in charge.
CM’s reaction
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government fully backed the police in their implementation of social distancing norms and lockdown regulations. He declined to comment on the alleged differences of opinion.
