Epidemic Bill passed in Odisha Assembly amid protest

BHUBANESWAR: The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed in the Assembly on Wednesday amid protest from the Opposition.The Opposition BJP and Congress members particularly opposed to the penal provisions of imprisonment up to two years and `one lakh or the both for violation of the epidemic regulations.

Opposing the Bill, senior Congress leader Narasingh Mishra said many Bills passed in the House did not stand scrutiny of the law because of the inherent flaw in the new legislation. The Government is not serious to combat the epidemic as evident from the lax administration and lack of coordination among various departments, he said and questioned the need for bringing two ordinances for amending an old Act.

Jayanarayan Mishra of the BJP said the proposed amendment will provide a scope to the Government to target political opponents and media which are not pliable. The apprehension about misuse of the law stems from the recent arrest of two youths for showing the mirror to the Government about its Covid management and harassing a media house for bringing it to public notice, he added.

The two ordinances promulgated on April 8 and August 31 had amended the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to introduce the penal provisions of imprisonment up to two years and ` one lakh or both for violation of the law.

Piloting the Bill, Health Minister Naba Kishore Das said Covid-19 pandemic has created a huge public health crisis across the world. The Government has initiated various measures to contain the epidemic and has framed Odisha Covid-19 Regulations, 2020, exercising the power conferred under sections 2 and 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. 

“Considering the need for stricter observance of guidelines for containing the spread of the disease, it is felt necessary to enhance the penalty amount as provided in the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, in order to regulate the non-compliance of the mask use, spitting at public places, violation of social distancing norms and other matters provided in the said regulations to bring in a sense of higher discipline,” Das justified the amendment.