Kolkata: Coronavirus pandemic desolated Wednesday vast swathes of West Bengal, the first day of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, with streets empty and markets closed, but some frenzied panic buying at local departmental stores prompted police to use force to disperse customers.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sought Rs 1,500 crore package from the Centre to supplement the state government’s efforts to deal with the situation.
While most of the state was deserted, people in parts of this city were seen jostling and squabbling in shops to buy essential goods, in violation of the lockdown guidelines against large gatherings. Frazzled customers were also seen queuing up outside cooking gas agencies to buy spare LPG cylinders.
Police however, baton-charged unruly buyers in some places. People loitering aimlessly on streets were sternly told to return home, government officials said.
In Birbhum and Bardhaman districts of West Bengal, police officials were seen shooing away people in overcrowded markets. In some areas, authorities had to close down shops as people refused to abide by the guidelines on social distancing.
In a separate development police arrested here 871 people in a span of 24 hours since Tuesday 5.00pm for defying the lockdown orders imposed by the government in its attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19, a senior official said.
The arrests were made by the Kolkata Police during naka-checking and patrolling across the length and breadth of the city. Of the 871 held, 235 are from southeast division and 185 from eastern suburban division. A total of 131 offenders were arrested from the central division and 81 more from southwest division, the officer informed.
All of them will be prosecuted under IPC sections dealing with disobedience of order, the officer added.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had repeatedly urged people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, and follow the guidelines set by the government.
Agencies