Top guns exert pressure on Bommai to lift weekend curfew in State

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: The weekend curfew and night curfew are likely to be withdrawn on Friday following pressure from senior BJP leaders including a Union Minister.

Several traders and businessmen including hoteliers, bars and restaurants and pub owners are angry with the state government for imposing night curfew and weekend curfew in the entire state since the last week of December,2021 that has hit their business hard. As per weekend curfew norms, all hotels, pubs, bars & restaurants would have to be shut at 10 am on Friday and open at 5 am on Monday. Those places would make roaring business only on weekends and the shutting down of business is causing themhuge losses.

On Tuesday, Union Minister for Mines, Coal and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi opined that there was no need for night curfew or weekend curfew if the Covid-19 situation is under control. As has been witnessed, the mortality rate and hospitalization rate are very minimal. Though the virus spread fast among people, it seems to be very mild with patients recovering fast without taking admission in hospitals. “I will personally talk to the CM in this regard”.

Meanwhile, Chikkamagaluru MLA and BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi also backed Joshi’s views and said curfew was not required as it would impact the state economy. It was better if the government took a relook at this rule and relaxed it if possible in the interest of protecting the interest of traders and businessmen too.

Friday meeting When asked about this, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr.K.Sudhakar said the suggestions of both Joshi and Ravi would be placed before Friday’s meeting to be chaired by the CM. The suggestions of health experts, members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and ministers would be obtained before taking any final decision on imposing any fresh rules or relaxing the existing curbs.