'Starvation Will Kill Us Before Coronavirus', Apurva Asrani On Grocery Shops Being Shut In Goa

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete nation-wide lockdown on March 25, most states governments soon announced that shops providing essential items like groceries, milk and vegetables would be kept open. They urged people not to panic.

But that didn't happen in Goa.

Even before the complete lockdown, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had extended the one-day janata curfew (on March 22) until March 25. Now, after the nation-wide curfew, the government failed to assure essential commodities to people. Goa has been closed since PM Modi announced lockdown as as preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus.

Talking about unavailability of provision stores in the state, National Award-winning editor Apurva Asrani requested CM Sawant and PM Modi to look into the problem.

Agency

"Matters have gotten desperate in #Goa. Not a single shop, grocery/provision store has been allowed to open for 3 days, in spite of assurances by @narendramodi. If we step out looking for bread, we are beaten by cops. Starvation will kill us before #coronavirus. @DrPramodPSawant,¡± read his first tweet.

Matters have gotten desperate in #Goa. Not a single shop, grocery/provision store has been allowed to open for 3 days, inspite of assurances by @narendramodi. If we step out looking for bread, we are beaten by cops. Starvation will kill is before #coronavirus. @DrPramodPSawant

¡ª Apurva (@Apurvasrani) March 26, 2020

¡°Though PM @narendramodi listed Private security & internet as #essentialservices, our security guard wasn¡¯t allowed by cops to come to work. An ISP crew was also beaten¨Cso internet is down in many parts. @DrPramodPSawant. Please, please look into this. We are desperate. #Goa,¡± wrote the editor of Shahid and Aligarh.

Though PM @narendramodi listed Private security & internet as #essentialservices, our security guard wasnt allowed by cops to come to work. An ISP crew was also beaten--so internet is down in many parts. @DrPramodPSawant please please look into this. We are desperate. #Goa

¡ª Apurva (@Apurvasrani) March 26, 2020

Goa, however, has now opened shops.

Twitter

The Goa government has now announced that the shops providing essential items will be open round the clock during this period.

CM Sawant said though the government was not in favour of taking such a step, it had to take the decision due to pressure from social media users and other quarters.

¡°We will follow central govt guidelines in toto,¡± expressed Goa CM. He urged people of Goa Goa to not step out in crowd to shops and maintain social distancing.