Recruitment rally, surgeries postponed as additional restrictions announced in JK

The Army announced postponement of its 10-day long recruitment drive in Jammu and Kashmir, where authorities on Monday announced additional restrictions in Udhampur and Poonch districts to ensure smooth implementation of social distancing to contain the spread of coronavirus, officials said.

All the elective surgeries at Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital and associated hospitals were also postponed, while the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) also postponed interviews and document verification for various posts till further orders, they said.

In order to ensure smooth implementation of social distancing in Udhampur town among the public involved in buying and purchasing essential commodities and to avoid unwanted roaming, Udhampur District Magistrate Piyush Singla has imposed various restrictions with effect from March 24.

The major restrictions include all kind of essential commodities/services shops/business establishments shall be allowed to operate from 7 am-10 am and 5 pm-7 pm in Udhampur town, while grocery shops not ensuring home delivery shall be closed and business units are asked to ensure that there shall be no crowding outside the shop and all bank branches shall remain open for public between 10.30 am to 2.30 pm," a government official said.

In a separate order, Poonch District Magistrate Rahul Yadav also announced regulation of the essential commodity shops and said grocery shops would remain open from 8 am till noon, while the dairy milk vehicles will be allowed to distribute the milk products prior to 8 am in the morning and from 7 pm to 9 pm in the evening.

However, it said the medical shops will remain open round-the-clock. The vehicles carrying essential commodities goods (vegetables/fruits/groceries) shall be allowed to enter the towns from 9 pm to 7 am only.

In pursuant to existing COVID-19 situation and to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and in order to curtail the flow of attendants and patients, an official spokesman said all the elective surgeries at GMCH & associated hospitals shall be postponed till further orders.