Delhi Police Commissioner asks officials to devise non-coercive methods to ensure social distancing in markets

Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava took a meeting with all district Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCsP) and senior officers through video conferencing to assess the preparedness ahead of relaxation of lockdown and directed them to devise non-coercive methods and take steps to ensure normalcy and ensure social distancing in markets.

According to an official statement of the Delhi Police, Shrivastava during the meeting assessed the police preparedness and carve out a road map to deal with the emerging scenario that will witness a large number of people and vehicles coming out of homes, posing a challenge to enforcing covid safety norms.

"The CP, Delhi directed the DCsP to devise non-coercive methods and take steps to ensure normalcy and ensure social distancing in markets, subzi mandis, localities through the participation of market welfare associations (MWAs), residents welfare associations (RWAs) etc. The Traders Associations shall be responsible for ensuring COVID appropriate behaviour through their volunteers and ensure that the shopkeepers adhere to the guidelines while the shop owners should ensure covid protocols at their spaces. Shops need to place sanitiser dispensers and maintain social distancing of customers. The DDMA order and provisions in this regard have to be enforced strictly," the release said.

It said that Shrivastava further directed that the weekly markets should be held in open grounds where vendors on rehri and patri should place themselves in sufficient distance from each other.

He also discussed the law and order and crime situation in the capital in the wake of the upcoming unlock process and directed the district DCsP to immediately give sufficient attention to preventive measures against street crimes and property offenses, which have a likelihood of rising as the roads and markets become more populated with the unlocking.

The DCsP were also directed to ensure strict vigil on activities of criminals released on interim bail and parole.

The Delhi Police Commissioner also examined the status of complaints on the Integrated Complaint Monitoring System (ICMS), and stressed on speedy disposal of complaints by speedy processing and information flow to citizens as fast redress of complaints is a priority police function.

Appreciating the steps taken by several districts to train unemployed youth under Delhi Police's YUVA scheme in medical care to assist the health care sector in covid times when there is a huge need for medical workers, Shrivastava called upon the supervisory officers to expand it further by arranging such skill trainings so that twin purpose - employment of youth and availability of covid health workers- can be achieved.

He further directed the DCsP and officers to prioritise delivery of compensation package to the kin of the deceased police personnel and that the officers should personally deliver the cheques to the family members.

( With inputs from ANI )