Kothagudem: Agency villages impose self-lockdown

Kothagudem: After a surge in positive cases after Covid second wave hit the State, the people of agency villages of Bhadrachalam division were imposing self-lockdown in their villages. The panchayats of Cherla, Tegada, Satyanarayanapuram and Dummagudem under Bhadrachalam division have declared self-lockdown from Thursday onwards.

Shops and other business establishments are keeping their shops open from 6 am to 2 pm only in these villages. The panchayats also suspended weekly markets in villages. They announced about self-lockdown in the villages and appealed to the people to support them to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the authorities of Lord Rama temple at Bhadrachalam also changed darshan timings for the devotees. Temple Executive Officer B Sivaji had released a statement here on Saturday about the change of darshan timings for the devotees. In the statement, the EO informed that the temple will allow devotees to have Lord darshan from 6 am to 1 pm only from Monday (May 10) following Covid norms.

Small hotels association also decided to close their business from Monday onwards in the temple town to prevent the spread of Covid. On the other hand, all the parties in the temple town have appealed to the Chamber of Commerce Union for imposing self-lockdown in the temple town. CPI leader T Venkateswarlu stated that corona positive cases were increasing with each day in the temple town. Hence, he opined that it is the time to implement self-lockdown. He alleged that the TRS government had failed in preventing Covid spread in the State. He urged business people to implement self-lockdown voluntarily to save the lives of the people.