<p>After being reproached for deploying government teachers to control the crowds at the wine-shops, the Visakhapatnam district administration has taken the teachers off such duties.</p>.<p>On Monday, teachers’ unions protested the north-coastal Andhra district authorities' move that positioned school teachers at the wine shops, which saw serpentine queues and overcrowding on the opening day post the COVID-19 lockdown.</p>.<p>“It came to our notice that some teachers were assigned at the wine shops to help the policemen control the crowds, based on the district police official’s direction. But it was only for Monday. According to the fresh instructions of the district collector, all the teachers are taken off all COVID-19 duties,” Lingeswara Reddy, Visakhapatnam district education officer, told DH.</p>.<p>The teacher’s deployment decision had come under much criticism from intellectuals to political parties. “Unfortunate that teachers who educate our kids and hold a respectable place in the society are made to stand like this at the liquor shops,” said Pawan Kalyan, Jana Sena Party chief.</p>.<p>Effective Tuesday, the Andhra Pradesh government has further increased the liquor rates by up-to an additional 50 percent, now making it up-to 75 percent more than the MRP per bottle.</p>.<p>Controlling the public at the wine shops has become a herculean task amidst the spread of COVID-19. Thus, the hike in liquor prices has been imposed on the lines of the Delhi government, which hiked the prices by 70 percent, CMO officials said adding that the number of outlets would also be reduced by the month end.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the state has reported 67 cases on Tuesday, taking the total to 1717. The COVID-19 bulletin mentioned the new cases as including 14 cases from Gujarat. Andhra Pradesh has over the last few days received about 4000 of its fishermen stuck at Veraval in Gujarat.</p>.<p>One death was reported in the last 24 hours, making the total COVID-19 fatalities 34 in the state.</p>
<p>After being reproached for deploying government teachers to control the crowds at the wine-shops, the Visakhapatnam district administration has taken the teachers off such duties.</p>.<p>On Monday, teachers’ unions protested the north-coastal Andhra district authorities' move that positioned school teachers at the wine shops, which saw serpentine queues and overcrowding on the opening day post the COVID-19 lockdown.</p>.<p>“It came to our notice that some teachers were assigned at the wine shops to help the policemen control the crowds, based on the district police official’s direction. But it was only for Monday. According to the fresh instructions of the district collector, all the teachers are taken off all COVID-19 duties,” Lingeswara Reddy, Visakhapatnam district education officer, told DH.</p>.<p>The teacher’s deployment decision had come under much criticism from intellectuals to political parties. “Unfortunate that teachers who educate our kids and hold a respectable place in the society are made to stand like this at the liquor shops,” said Pawan Kalyan, Jana Sena Party chief.</p>.<p>Effective Tuesday, the Andhra Pradesh government has further increased the liquor rates by up-to an additional 50 percent, now making it up-to 75 percent more than the MRP per bottle.</p>.<p>Controlling the public at the wine shops has become a herculean task amidst the spread of COVID-19. Thus, the hike in liquor prices has been imposed on the lines of the Delhi government, which hiked the prices by 70 percent, CMO officials said adding that the number of outlets would also be reduced by the month end.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the state has reported 67 cases on Tuesday, taking the total to 1717. The COVID-19 bulletin mentioned the new cases as including 14 cases from Gujarat. Andhra Pradesh has over the last few days received about 4000 of its fishermen stuck at Veraval in Gujarat.</p>.<p>One death was reported in the last 24 hours, making the total COVID-19 fatalities 34 in the state.</p>
