Bhubaneswar: BMC collects Rs 17,600 fine from 88 for not wearing masks

Bhubaneswar: Acting tough against violators of COVID-19 guidelines, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) today collected a fine of Rs 17,600 from 88 persons in the city for not wearing masks, official sources said.

While the North Zone has collected fine of Rs 200 each from 44 persons for the offence, the South West Zone has also collected equal amount from 44 more violators.

It can be mentioned here that under the leadership of Municipal Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary, BMC has categorically announced that the violators of COVID-19 guidelines would be firmly dealt with for offence like this as wearing of mask has been stressed by both World Health Organisation and Indian Council of Medical Research.

On April 9, the Health and Family Welfare Department of the State Government in its notification made it mandatory for all citizens to wear masks to cover nose and mouth.

The department has declared that while on three initial offences, fine of Rs 200 each would be collected from a person for violating the wearing of mask order, after three offences a fine of Rs 500 is to be collected under the rule of Odisha COVID-19 (Amendment) Regulations and power conferred under the Sections 2 and 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.