The district administration of Srinagar, Jammu Kashmir, banned the circulation of photos, videos of relief distribution on social media platforms on April 12, Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, who is also the Chairman of District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), directed that neither government agencies nor NGOs can circulate photographs or videos of distribution of food or other relief items on social media.

“Admin has taken around 30 NGOs onboard for its COVID-19 related efforts, to reach out to and support residents of the district,” he said to media.

Further, regulation of operations of the NGOs comes in the wake of the declaration of 14 areas as containment zones after several positive cases of COVID19 were reported in these areas.

The circular containing the additional set of instructions said areas declared as containment zones will have strictly restricted entry.

“It states that only designated essential and emergency services officials will be allowed to enter these areas in strict compliance with all stated guidelines and precautions,” he said.

The administration said operationa of NGOs and the distribution of relief items in these as well as other areas will be in strict coordination with the NGO cell of the DDMA.

Earlier, the Rajasthan government also directed the NGOs and government agencies to refrain from clicking pictures and videos while distributing relief items among the destitute.

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