<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: #222222; background: white; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;">Centre has asked States and Union Territories to strictlyimplement lockdown measures in the letter and spirit. In a letter to StateChief Secretaries and UT administrators, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said, ithas been noticed that some States and UTs are allowing exceptions beyond whathas been permitted under the lockdown. He said, this amounts to violation ofthe lockdown measures announced by the Center under the Disaster Management Act and may defeat the overall objective of containing the spread of COVID-19.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><o:p /></span></p><br />