'Assam got Rs 55 lakh in fines since April 21 for protocol violation'

GUWAHATI: Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on Monday said nearly Rs 55 lakh have been realized as fine for violation of Covid-19 protocols in the state from April 21 to Monday.
"We have collected a total of Rs 54,86,900 as fine and hundreds of cases under Disaster Management Act have been registered. We have repeatedly appealed to the people to cooperate with the police and the government in the fight against the lethal virus by adhering to the SOP," he told the media.
Meanwhile, commissioner of police, Guwahati, MP Gupta said on Monday that a total of Rs 9,82,000 have been realized as fine from vehicles and more than 1,900 non-FIR cases have been registered in the city to date for violating the SOP. He also informed that an amount of Rs 9,95,000 have been collected as fine from people for not wearing face masks in the city.
The DGP has already informed that police are making people aware about the SOP by making announcements in every locality.
The DGP further added, "By and large, people of the state are complying with the restrictions imposed by the administration during curfew hours. However, it has been observed that during the curfew relaxation hours, people are coming out in the open without maintaining Covid protocols like wearing of face masks, maintaining social distance. This type of irresponsible behaviour by some sections may further spread the disease."
He urged the stake holders like lessees of weekly markets, shop owners associations, chambers of commerce and vehicle owners' associations to ensure maintaining of Covid protocols during curfew relaxation hours too.
He informed that the police authorities have been instructed to take up the issue of maintaining Covid protocols with all stake holders and to ensure strict implementation of the same. "Any violation of the same by anyone will be dealt with strictly as per law," he added. "Lesses and shop owners may open the weekly markets and shops early and the public are also requested to come out in a staggered way so that there is no crowding at a particular time during relaxed hours," the DGP said.