KARGIL MAY 10, 2021: In order to review the overall COVID-19 pandemic situation in the district, and to discuss ways and means to further enhance the level of measures to contain the spread of the virus ,Chairman and Chief Executive Councilor LAHDC Kargil Feroz Ahmad Khan in presence of the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner and CEO LAHDC Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve, convened a meeting of various stakeholders including the representatives of the religious and political organizations, PRI members, concerned officers of the District Administration and Health Department Kargil besides other concerned officers at Conference Hall Baroo here today.

SSP Kargil Anayat Ali Choudhary, Additional DC Kargil Tsering Motup, Additional SP Iftikhar Talib Choudhary, Chief Medical Officer Dr Munawar Wazir, representatives of Anjuman e Jamiatul Ulema Isna Ashariya (AJUIAK), Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT), Kargil, Anjuman e Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Anjuman e Sahab Zaman, Anjuman e Sufia Noorbakshiya, Chairman Panchayat Coordination Committee Kargil besides other concerned officers attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, CEC Feroz Ahmad Khan while expressing serious concern over the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the country and the grim situation as a result of the second Corona wave, underlined the need to take stringent measures to deal with the situation.

CEC Khan further reiterated that it is the moral responsibility of every one of us to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 SOPs issued by the Administration from time to time so that the efforts put in by the Covid warriors and frontline workers does not go in vain. He said that the prevailing situation in the neighboring UT of J&K, Leh District as well as recent spike of cases in Kargil district over the past few weeks is a worrisome situation and calls for immediate response measures which if not taken timely may lead to an alarming situation.

While expressing gratitude to the religious and political organizations, public representatives, and PRI members for their timely support to the LAHDC and District Administration Kargil in containing the spread of the deadly Coronavirus in the district so far, CEC Khan urged them to extend continued support in the fight against the pandemic.

Responding to the various suggestions put forth by the participants during the meeting, the CEC assured that formal orders for starting of online classes for school students will soon be issued through the Chief Education Officer Kargil while the DIET Kargil will be assigned with the responsibility to ensure smooth running of these classes.

District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve said that keeping in view the current scenario of COVID- 19 pandemic across the country and the level of damage the virus has caused to human lives, stringent measures are required to be taken to avoid its impact on the people in the district. He said that presently there are 235 active cases of COVID-19 in the district which is a significant number when compared to the district’s overall population, adding he said in addition to Section 144 CrPC and night curfew, more restrictions are being imposed to prevent any possible exigency.

The DM said that the District Administration is in all readiness to deal with the prevailing pandemic situation and all out efforts are being made to keep the district safe from the deadly Coronavirus. He sought cooperation of all the concerned stakeholders and the public in proper implementation of SOPs and guidelines to break the chain of infection.

Regarding the measures being taken by the Administration to speed up the process of testing, the DC informed that with installation of the new RNA extractor recently, all backlogs up to 5th May, 2021 have been cleared, adding the RT-PCR laboratory Kargil will now have a capacity of conducting 1500 test per day, the reports of which will be made available within 48 hours.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Officer Kargil Dr Munawar Hussain Wazir informed the meeting about the present status of COVID-19 situation in the district, status of isolation, quarantine, oxygen generation, vaccination of beneficiaries of different age group and other aspects. He said that a total of 45,087 beneficiaries including persons above 60 years, persons of 45 years and above with co-morbidities, 45 plus persons with no co-morbidities, healthcare workers and frontline workers have been already been inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccines, adding 30717 beneficiaries have got the first dose and 14370 the second dose.

As regards to the ongoing vaccination in case of persons above 18 years, the CMO informed that different categories of beneficiaries under this age group like the employees of different government departments and private organizations, LAHDC Councillors, PRI and MC members, health care personnel, teachers and other frontline workers have been vaccinated in a phased manner while vaccination in case of other beneficiaries is also being started in due course of time.

The meeting discussed various measures like enhancing the surveillance measures by ensuring close coordination among the field functionaries of Revenue, Police, Anganwadi Workers, PRI members, Nambardars and other stakeholders at the ground level, putting restraint on the unnecessary travelling of people outside the district, strengthening of screening of all inbound travellers, labourers at all entry points and other related aspects.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the religious and political organizations, PRI members and other stakeholders assured to extend their full support to the Administration in ensuring the strict implementation of the SOPs, guidelines and other instructions to contain the spread of COVID-19 and keep the district safe from the dangers of the deadly virus.