Police focus on awareness, go slow on slapping fines during statewide lockdown

Ranchi: The state police are conducting intense awareness drives across all 24 districts to make sure that people are complying with the Swathya Suraksha Saptah (health safety week) norms, brought in force to check the spread of novel coronavirus.
Along with help from the respective district administration, the cops are conducting flag marches, sticking posters laying down the dos and don’ts, using loudspeakers to ask people to refrain from going out unless necessary, using audio-visual clips to spread the message further among everyone.
In Ranchi, in the wake of migrants returning to their homes, police have launched a mask checking drive in rural areas.
Rural SP Naushad Alam said, “We are patrolling the thickly populated areas and making announcements on loudspeakers, asking to comply with the norms. We are requesting them to stay home as much as possible. The awareness-level among the rural population regarding this issue is already high.”
Regular flag marches with posters and banners are being taken out in Simdega district. SP Shams Tabrez said, “The sahiyas and the school teachers are also engaged in educating the rural population regarding the issue. We are also focusing on the markets as those places are usually very crowded.”
Khunti SP Ashutosh Shekhar said, “Besides raising awareness among the people regarding the health safety week, the district administration is distributing masks, particularly among the poor.”
He added that those spotted stepping out without a mask, especially if he/she does not come from a poor background, are being fined.
Inspector general (operations) Amol Homkar said, “The administration is using a combination of both punitive action and awareness programmes to enforce the restrictions. FIRs are also being registered in case of violations”
According to the police, as many as 31,131 people across the state were fined a total amount of Rs 25,01,940 for not wearing masks since April 23. In addition to this, 47 FIRs have been registered for violation of the Covid prevention norms.