Police will act tough against people from TN districts entering Puducherry during lockdown: CM

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Thursday said that he had asked the territorial police to act tough against people from neighbouring Villupuram and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu entering Puducherry during lockdown.

Talking to reporters after holding discussions with his ministerial colleagues and officials reviewing the implementation of steps to contain COVID-19 spread here, he said the state borders have been sealed. This was to prevent movement of people from Villupuram and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu and their intrusion into Puducherry.

The chief minister said he had asked police to invoke stringent and deterrent provisions of the state laws and central legislations and take action against those entering Puducherry from Tamil Nadu and other states during lockdown.

Presently, the two neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu were registering a good number of COVID-19 cases and Tamil Nadu notched the second position after Maharashtra in the country as a whole in the number of COVID-19 cases.

"The Tamil Nadu government is struggling. The Puducherry government cannot remain slack and should take stricter measures to prevent the spread of infection," he said asking people to keep up their response and ensure successful operation of the ongoing lockdown during the next few days.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have a meeting with chief ministers of all the states on April 11 and take stock of the situation.

"Our concern is that both the economy of Puducherry should be strengthened and the lives of people protected. We are prepared to do any sacrifice in protecting the precious lives of people of Puducherry. I have been enlisting the views of ministers and others on the lockdown's continuance," he said.

Narayanasamy did not come out with clear indication as to whether the lockdown would be lifted on April 14 or extended beyond that date.

He claimed that the government was struggling hard with the Centre not coming forward to provide financial help to meet the requirements of hospitals to battle the spread of COVID-19.

"However, from out of the state resources funds had been provided to Indira Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital here to strengthen its infrastructures to rise to any exigency as this hospital has been designated as an exclusive institution to treat patients with COVID-19 complaints.

"Presently, four persons in Puducherry and one in Mahe region (an enclave in Kerala) had tested positive for the infection and were under close monitoring at the government hospitals," he said.

Meanwhile, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi held a meeting with officials on Thursday through video conference from her office and said later in a WhatsApp message to mediapersons that "random test and door-to-door survey by medical teams would be done from Monday to identify COVID-19 cases in all the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.