Ajit Pawar directs Pune admin to consult elected leaders on curfew

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday instructed the Pune district administration to consult elected representatives from the region before imposing curfew orders in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said elected representatives from the district, mayors of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad etc must be consulted.

Police officials said section 144 of CrPC was not in force in Pune, but few crowd-control provisions of Maharashtra Police Act were in place in the district.

Pawar also told officials to make sure COVID-19 patients get oxygen facilities, beds and required treatment in time, and asked them to ensure the ''my family, my responsibility'' outreach programme, which aims to survey and screen households to detect COVID-19 patients, is a success.