Lakshadweep extends shutdown on six islands for every week amid starvation strike in opposition to reforms

By Express News Service
KOCHI: On a day residents of Lakshadweep went on a 12-hour starvation protest in opposition to the reforms launched by administrator Praful Khoda Patel, the island administration prolonged the whole shutdown on six islands for seven days.

The full shutdown has been prolonged in Kavaratti, Androth, Kalpeni, Amini, Minicoy and Bitra islands in accordance with an order issued by island Collector S Askar Ali. Shops and institutions promoting groceries and different necessities can open from 1 pm to 4 pm with prior permission. Hotels and eating places can operate from 7.30 am to 9.30 am, 1 pm to three pm, and 6 pm to 9 pm just for house supply of packed meals. All employees and supply individuals of inns and outlets ought to have a Covid destructive certificates and take prior permission from the authorities.

Fishermen and meat sellers can ship merchandise at house from 3 pm to five pm. Fishing and development actions will probably be permitted through the shutdown with prior permission. The night time curfew will proceed in Kiltan, Chetlath, Kadmath and Agatti islands.

Collector Askar Ali mentioned the shutdown has yielded outcomes and the variety of energetic instances on the island has come right down to 1,005 from 2006 on May 31. Kavaratti has 484 energetic instances adopted by Agatti (16), Amini (51), Kadmat (14), Kiltan (21), Chethlat (14), Androth (188), Kalpeni (24), Minicoy (123) and Bitra (70) as on June 6.

Meanwhile, residents of the island noticed a 12-hour starvation strike in opposition to the reforms launched by the administrator. According to Lakshadweep district panchayat member Thaha Malika, the police will not be allowing residents to protest even in entrance of their houses. “The panchayat members had started a hunger strike in front of the panchayat office at 9 am. At 11.30 am, the police came and asked us to disperse. People of all walks of life have extended their support to the Save Lakshadweep campaign,” he mentioned.