Hyderabad: Ring in New Year, with strings attached

Hyderabad: Unlike Delhi and Maharashtra, Telangana has decided not to ban New Year celebrations. It will permit holding revelries and celebrations on a restricted scale and make it mandatory to follow Covid appropriate behaviour.

Following the directions of the High Court to take all necessary measures to contain the spread of Omicron in the State, the government has announced that it will not permit public meetings and rallies till January 2.

It may be mentioned here that Telangana stood third among all States in registering the highest number of Omicron cases in the country. Delhi and Maharashtra occupied first and second place.

According to the government order, it would be mandatory for ensuring proper wearing of masks, thermal scanners to check body temperature of guests before entering, hand sanitisers, and maintaining social distance. It said official teams would visit the venues to monitor whether safety precautions at all venues where events are held are being followed or not during New year celebrations.

This would now make the TRS and BJP to reschedule their plans to hold rallies and public meetings. The BJP had planned to hold a Deeksha at Indira Park demanding immediate notification for jobs. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had also planned to go on district tours and address public meetings on the issue of failure of the Centre to procure paddy.