Coronavirus lockdown | Punjab increases fines for norms violation

Penalty for not wearing masks raised to ₹500 from ₹200

The Punjab government on Friday increased the penalties in case of violation of instructions and guidelines issued to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said, taking cognisance of violation reports about the instructions and guidelines concerning the COVID-19, the penalties need to be enhanced and made more stringent to keep Punjab safe from the claws of the pandemic.

Mr. Sidhu said now a ₹500 penalty will be imposed for not wearing a mask in public places, which was earlier ₹200, while a ₹2,000 penalty will be imposed for violating the home quarantine instructions which was previously ₹500. For spitting in public places, the fine will be ₹500, which was ₹100 earlier, he said.

He said non-payment of fine by the violator will attract legal action under Section 188 of the IPC as per regulations framed under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897. Mr. Sidhu said the Amarinder Singh government was working round-the-clock to prevent the spread of the disease.

He said Punjab became the leading State in the country in recovery of COVID-19 patients, which is around 91%.

The Minister clarified that officials not below the post of block development and panchayat officer, naib tehsildar and any official authorised by Deputy Commissioners can impose the penalties under the provisions of Epidemic Disease Act.

39 fresh cases

Punjab recorded 39 fresh COVID-19 cases on May 29 and reported two more death taking the tally to 42. ,

The number of positive cases has reached 2,197. The patients who died were from Ludhiana and Amritsar districts.

(With PTI inputs)