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With banks set to restore normal functioning after government order, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi issued directive that police arrangement be made to ensure social distancing and other norms.
Apprehending that a large number of people, including old age pensioners and labourers, would be queuing up at banks to withdraw money, the government directed the police force to help bank officials in ensuring social distancing.
“Banks will work normally between 10 am and 4 pm till further orders. Hence all district police chiefs have been directed to deploy policemen in banks for helping bank officials and ensure health norms,” Awasthi said.
It may be mentioned here that the dues of MGNREGA workers, salary of employees and monetary relief to the poor, farmers and others have been transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries and hence people in large number are expected to swarm banks as they open. This might lead to violation of social distancing norms and make it difficult for officials to ensure safety measures.
Meanwhile in Bareilly, amid apprehensions of two officials of State Bank of India’s zonal office being suspected cases of coronavirus infection after coming in contact with positive patients, the office was evacuated in Subhash Nagar area on Wednesday. About 300 people work in the zonal office.
SBI Divisional General Manager Pradeep Kumar. posted at the zonal office, said that apart from being evacuated, the office was also sanitised. Both suspected officials are under supervision of doctors.
Of the six residents of Subhash Nagar who tested positive for the virus, one is a loco-pilot at Bareilly junction and had been in contact with 32 people, including loco lobby (running staff) and operating staff. Later, these 32 people were quarantined in Moradabad division of Northern Railway. The loco-pilot had brought Ala Hazrat Express to Bareilly Junction on March 25.
A five-kilometre radius has been sealed in Subhash Nagar area.