James urged to facilitate public announcement on Coronavirus lockdown

 TURA: With many people in Garo Hills continuing to violate the lock down orders aimed at  breaking the transmission chain of the Covid-19 virus, Information and Public Relations Minister, James K Sangma has been urged to ensure that necessary information with regard to the situation reaches all sections of the public.

In their letter addressed to the minister, the New Tura Development Forum (NTDF) sought the immediate reintroduction of the Fixed Loudspeaker System (FLS) and that mikes are installed at strategic and main points of Garo Hills to provide information to the public.

“People are violating the lock down orders as information, directives, advisories etc., are not reaching them fully and promptly at the appropriate times. People are still coming in close contact with each other and rushing out to buy commodities at random creating crowds and roaming on the roads. So far, there is still no evidence that medicines or drugs can cure the disease. The only way to contain the outbreak of the disease is by preventing the transmission of the virus by social distancing. So, all out efforts must be made to maintain the same,” the forum said.

The forum said that many of the notifications and directives are being issued through various forms of social media and TV broadcasts and it felt that the same is not enough as many people including community elders, village headmen, rural folk and even presidents and secretaries of locality development committees are not active on social media or watch TV broadcasts.

The forum also pointed out that many poor families especially daily wage earners who do not have access to essential commodities come out in search of means to provide for their families due to lack of proper information and advisories.

The forum while pointing out that the mobile announcement system presently being used by the DIPR with only one vehicle is neither enough nor practical and urged that the earlier system of FLS announcement is introduced once again so that necessary information and advisories reach all sections of the people.