Dictatorial virus ordinance will result in police raj: BJP

Ranchi: BJP has criticized the JMM-Congress-RJD government for passing the Jharkhand Contagious Disease Ordinance late on Wednesday evening, approving provisions of penalty up to Rs 1 lakh and a jail term of up to two years for those not wearing masks and spitting in public places, participating in large gatherings and violating protocols in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The cabinet note, which was moved by state department of health, medical education and family welfare, said the ordinance had to be brought as the assembly is not in session. Jharkhand assembly was also closed for five days on Thursday after a few secretariat staff tested positive of the virus.
A government statement said: “At present, there is no Act in the state to regulate activities such as movement of people, wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing, spitting in public places and public gatherings such as wedding ceremonies and other programmes to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The ordinance will help contain these activities.”
The ordinance also empowers the Jharkhand government to announce any disease as contagious. However, though the ordinance has the consent of the state law department, its regulations detailing the classification of violations, its penalty provisions and the enforcing agencies, is yet to be notified.
BJP’s Jharkhand president Deepak Prakash, who took oath as a Rajya Sabha member on Wedneday, branded the ordinance as “dictatorial”. He said, “This decision is against the poor and will empower the police machinery and administrative officials to intimidate the people. The government must resort to other ways to ensure compliance to the regulations.”
Former chief minister and BJP’s legislative party leader Babulal Marandi also wrote to chief minister Hemant Soren condemning the ordinance. “All of us want the spread of Covid-19 to be checked, but doors must not be opened for exploitation of the state’s people on the pretext pf the pandemic. The economic conditions of the people must be taken into consideration before such a decision is taken,” Marandi, who is currently in home quarantine after returning from New Delhi on Sunday night, said.
Calling the quantum of imprisonment and the amount of penalty harsh, Marandi said the ordinance will provide a source of income for corrupt policemen in the garb of this law. “There are states that have provisioned Rs 50,000 fine and free masks for those who caught with their faces uncovered. But in Jharkhand, the ones responsible for making and enforcing the laws are not wearing masks properly,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, JMM’s Jama MLA Sita Soren demanded a complete lockdown in Jharkhand to curb the increasing number of infection in the state, becoming the latest to join the band of legislators demanding tighter measures.
However, deputy commissioners of all 24 districts were on Thursday asked not to impose any lockdown arbitrarily without any directive from the government. Chief secretary Sukhdev Singh chaired over the state’s Covid 19 pandemic situation and reviewed the progress of government schemes virtually.