NT NETWORK

Ponda

As the COVID-19 cases have started increasing in the state recently, police have once again tightened its grip over violators and have been penalizing the offenders for the last 15 days. As per information Ponda police have booked around 1,000 people in the last 15 days for not wearing face masks and have fined them Rs 200, informed Ponda police officials.

Police personnel said that the second wave of COVID-19 has struck the state hard wherein more than 500 positive cases are being reported daily. Despite it, people from Ponda are acting carelessly and are still violating safety guidelines issued by the government. Taking note of the same the police have started cracking the whip on such offenders.

Police had loosened its grip over people for not wearing face mask in the past few months, wherein only 800 people were booked from January to March 2021. But as the COVID cases started rising, the police launched its awareness campaign from March 28 in Ponda town area and soon started penalizing the offenders rigorously.

In a bid to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and to control the cases, both, the central and the state governments have made it compulsory for individuals to wear face mask or face cover in public places from May 2020.

Reacting to this Ponda police inspector Mohan Gaude said that, the Ponda police staff has been working tirelessly to ensure the enforcement of the government’s guidelines so as to prevent the spread of the virus. Penalizing offenders for not wearing face mask is part of the enforcement and along with that the police are also sensitizing and spreading awareness about the rising COVID cases in Ponda, said Gaude.