Don't hold Shab-e-Barat gatherings, stay indoors: Kargil admn to people, religious leaders

Authorities in Kargil district of Ladakh on Wednesday appealed to religious heads and people not to hold any gatherings on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat and remain indoors in view of the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Shab-e-Barat, also known as the night of forgiveness, will be observed on April 8-9. Members of the Muslim community usually hold night-long prayers at places of worship and also visit graveyards to seek forgiveness for their departed loved ones.

District Magistrate, Kargil, Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary urged people "to commemorate Shab-e-Barat at their homes and avoid social gatherings for their own safety and the safety of others".

He appealed to religious heads and people to follow the directions and guidelines issued by the health department, adding that social distancing should be followed.

Choudhary also asked people to pray for the safety and well-being of the humankind.

Meanwhile, an official spokesperson said 91,906 people are being given 15 kgs free rice for the months of April, May and June at the scale of five kgs per person per month under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) in Kargil district.

The process of distribution started on Wednesday with the distribution of 124 quintals of rice to 557 priority households (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households in four villages in the district spread over Drass, Bhimbhat and Padum Zanskar blocks, he said.

In a related development, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil Feroz Ahmad Khan convened a meeting to review the supply and distribution of ration and other essential commodities in all parts of the district amid the lockdown.

Door-to-door delivery of ration, LPG cylinders and kerosene oil distributed among consumers till date and distribution of ration among beneficiaries under the PMGKY were discussed during the meeting, the spokesperson said.

The distribution of vegetables and other essential commodities among people in different zones as well as the transportation of essential commodities to the district from Jammu through the Zojila Pass were also discussed, he said.

According to the spokesperson, the administration has delivered 5,620 quintals rice, 4,862 quintals wheat flour, 2,788 LPG cylinders and 33,460 litres kerosene oil to 20,300 households in 180 villages in 12 blocks of the district.

India has been under a lockdown since March 25.