Coronavirus: Delhi Police booking hotel rooms is being appreciated by the constabulary

The Delhi Police have made arrangements for hotel stay for their personnel who are out on the field amid the lockdown necessitated by the highly infectious COVID-19. The Delhi Police, which is under the Home Ministry, has booked 57 hotels throughout the national capital where their personnel can safely stay in comfort, away from their families to avoid any chance of risking infection and spreading it.

"This is a pro-active welfare measure for our personnel as now they can adopt social distancing and carry on with their duties fearlessly and without any worry that they would be infecting their family members," Special Commissioner Robin Hibu told NDTV.

Delhi Police have acquired some 1,000 rooms at these 57 hotels. So far 442 personnel have been shifted to the hotels.

These hotels and guest houses have been selected in all districts of Delhi. A maximum of 15 have been taken over in south-east Delhi. The idea is that barracks of personnel are decongested and can maintain social distancing too.

"Some of them have been acquired on voluntary basis and some on payment," DCP (south-east) RP Meena said.

In south-east district, among the 15 hotels include Hotel Karan Palace in Friends Colony (22), NK Residency, (20), Heritage Hotel in Kalkaji (20); Hotel Parl Inn (18) and Shuhul Continental in Amar Colony and Fab Hotel Cozy Palace (10 each).

This move is being appreciated by the constabulary in lower ranks who stay outside the jurisdiction of Delhi and have to travel to and from three times a week from home with limited transport.

"Most of them stay in Jhajjar, Meerut, Gurgaon and it was very difficult to commute from one state to another," a police officer said.

"It is in the interest of preventing the spread of COVID-19. After duty the staff instead of returning home will stay in a hotel in the particular district where the personnel is posted, so that there is no chance of disease spreading to family and society," another officer said.