Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, July 24
Jharkhand became the first state to impose severest penalties for the no-Mask users.
A cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening approved promulgation of the Jharkhand Contagious Disease Ordinance that has provision for a fine up to Rs 1 lakh and two years’ imprisonment for violation of preventive measures, including not wearing masks in public places and illegal assembly.
Earlier, Delhi UT had imposed stringent norms with a clause of for six months jail term for violators.
As there is a surge in Corona positive cases in the state cabinet met under the chairmanship of the chief minister, Hemant Soren and approved the Contagious Diseases (prevention) ordinance, 2020 prescribing harsh punishment for not wearing mask and spitting in public.
Punishment will be applicable for those violating the rules related to limits on number of guests in the marriages and other social and religious programmes too, according to the ordinance issued by the health department.
Jharkhand has already banned entry of people coming from outside the state. All inter-state borders with Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh states. All vehicles coming to the state without valid permits are being disallowed from entering the state.
The state assembly complex has been sealed till month end and meetings of the different committees scheduled for the month have also been cancelled.
The opposition cried foul over the stringent penalties. BJP leader and Jharkhand’s first chief minister Babulal Marandi described it as draconian and short-sightedness of Chief Minister Hemant.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Marandi said that although he and his party, the BJP, supported the government in combating Covid-19, the proposed penalties were impractical for a state like Jharkhand where majority of the people were living below the poverty line.
