Published 16:20 IST, March 20th 2020
Zilla Panchayat elections in Goa postponed due to 'Janta Curfew'
Nearly 8,000 people have died due to Coronavirus. The virus has infected around 2,07,000 people and has spread to more than 100 countries around the world.
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Zilla Panchayat elections, that were scheduled to be held in Goa on March 22 have been postponed due to the Janta curfew announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The elections will now take place on March 24.
Elections in Goa postponed
Respecting the appeal made by Hon. PM for "Janata Curfew" on 22/3/2020 & in the interest of wider participation of electorate in the Zilla Panchayat elections, the State Government in consultation with the SEC has decided to postpone the ZP Polling date to 24/3/2020.
— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) March 19, 2020
The decision was taken after the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant held a high-level meeting with the state officials on Thursday. While speaking to ANI, he said, "Respecting the appeal made by Honourable Prime Minister for 'Janata Curfew' on March 22, 2020, and in the interest of wider participation of the electorate in the Zilla Panchayat elections, the state government in consultation with the State Election Commission has decided to postpone the Zilla Panchayat polling date to March 24, 2020."
At least 190 confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in India with at least four deaths recorded.
The Union government on Thursday announced that no international flight will be allowed to land in the country for a week starting from March 22.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, addressed the nation over the coronavirus outbreak and asked the citizens to be vigilant and not go out unnecessarily. He called for a 'Janta curfew' on Sunday, March 22 from 7 am to 9 pm in an attempt to break the contact chain amongst people. The move is also being widely touted as a testing measure for a possible curfew in the future. PM Modi also urged senior citizens to not step out of their house for the next few weeks. He also announced the formation of a COVID-19 Economic Task Force under the Ministry of Finance.
Globally, around 10,000 people have died due to Coronavirus, with the epicentre being China. The virus has infected around 2,45,000 people globally and has now spread to North America, South America, Europe, New Zealand, and more than 100 other countries.
16:20 IST, March 20th 2020