DDMA meet on Wed on reopening of hotels, gyms and weekly markets

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) A crucial meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is scheduled for Wednesday where a decision is likely to be taken on reopening of hotels, gymnasiums and weekly markets in the national capital. The meeting was to take place on Tuesday but it got postponed due to some issues, an official said.

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had presented a proposal to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal about reopening hotels and weekly markets in view of the COVID-19 situation in Delhi.

The decision of the AAP government was rejected by Baijal back then. The DDMA meeting will be chaired by the Lieutenant Governor and is likely to be attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and other top officials.

Officials privy to the developments told IANS that a decision on whether or not hotels, gymnasium, yoga institutes and weekly markets should be allowed to reopen is expected to be taken in the meeting.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in its recent proposal to the LG had said that in accordance with the Centre’s ‘Unlock guidelines’, it has the right to decide on allowing such establishments in Delhi to reopen. The AAP government had said that COVID-19 cases have been increasing in several states and the situation is “frequently deteriorating”, but hotels, gyms and weekly markets have been allowed there.

It had sought to know from the LG why Delhiites are being stopped from earning their livelihood despite the fact that the number of coronavirus cases has been decreasing in the national capital.

–IANS

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