Jammu, Mar 25 (IANS): The J&K administration on Wednesday ordered closure of all government offices in the Union Territory till April 14, except those providing essential services.

Rohit Kansal, spokesman for the UT administration, said on his official twitter handle today, "All government offices except those providing essential services closed till April 14".

Authorities today made heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces to ensure compliance of the 21-day countrywide lockdown in J&K.

Most highways, streets and pedestrian malls were deserted in Srinagar and Jammu cities as the security forces erected scores of barricades and hurdles to disallow public and vehicular movement in all cities and towns of J&K.

Executive magistrates have been deployed at all major entry and exit points into cities and towns to ensure that only those connected with the medical profession and those engaged in maintenance of essential supplies are allowed to pass.

At their level also the people in Jammu region and the Valley appear to have taken a pledge to ensure that they remain indoors to break the chain of coronavirus infection.

People,however, wanted the authorities to clarify whether they would individually be permitted to go to markets to buy essentials since medicine, vegetable, meat, fish, milk and grocery outlets have been exempt from the 21-day lockdown.

So far, there appears to be no forward movement administratively to ensure that home delivery of essentials is made across the Union Territory.