Nagaland govt to impose Rs 100 fine on people not wearing mask
The Nagaland government hasdecided to impose a fine of Rs 100 on people who dont wearface masks in public places and Rs 500 on institutions withouthandwashing facilities with immediate effect, an official saidon Saturday.
The Nagaland Disaster Management Authority observedthat wearing masks, especially in public places, making theprovision of handwashing facility by various establishments,maintaining physical distance in high-risk settings, are oftennot being followed which poses a serious risk of infection notonly to the defaulters but also to other people around them,said Chief Secretary J Alam in an order issued on Friday.
Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred underthe Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and in view of the guidelinesissued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 the governmenthas decided to make it compulsory for everyone to wear facemask and also provide hand sanitizers or handwash facility inall establishments, including offices, educationalinstitutions, religious places and shops with immediateeffect.
Alam said violation of the SOPs and guidelines wouldlead to penalization of the defaulters. People not wearing amask in public places, including offices, banks, markets,business establishments, restaurants, hotels, publictransport, social and religious gatherings or meetings,educational institutions would be liable of Rs 100 fine forevery offence.
Not providing handwashing facility or hand sanitizersin shops and business establishments, restaurants and hotelswould be Rs 500 fine with warning for first offence whileafter one week of first offence would lead to sealing of theestablishment with or without suspension ofregistration/license wherever applicable till facilities areprovided.
He said police and transport officers and theconcerned urban local body would be responsible to enforce thesaid order.
The chief secretary also informed that not adhering tothe limit on the number of passengers in bus, taxi and autorickshaw as per guidelines would also be penalized.
Violation or non-compliance of any other clauses,provisions of SOPs, advisories currently in force, includingbut not limited to quarantine, isolation, contact tracing,testing would lead to registration of a case under relevantsections of the National Disaster Management Act 2005 andNagaland Epidemic Diseases (COVID-19) Regulations, 2020.
The order comes into force immediately and wouldremain valid till further orders, said the chief secretary.
Nagaland till Friday has reported 9,638 COVID-19 casesof which 725 are active cases.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
