BMC to invoke IPC section as it intensifies efforts to penalise those roaming without the facial guard amid a surge in COVID cases in the city
A clean-up marshal in action at Dadar East on Thursday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Stepping up its efforts to check the spread of COVID in the city, the BMC has doubled the number of clean-up marshals to penalise those roaming without a mask. While it has deployed women at religious places and teachers at BMC offices for the job, it plans to press charges under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code that may land a violator in jail for a month.
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At a review meeting on Thursday, sources said, civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal asked officials to raise the number of clean-up marshals from 2,400 to 4,800 to rein in people without a mask or those who spit in public places. The marshals will now have a revised target of fining 25,000 violators, which is twice the present figure.
“All persons must wear a face mask in public places including office meetings and anybody violating order will be punishable under section 188 of Indian Penal Code and a fine of Rs 200 will be imposed for each such offence by the cleanup marshal," read an order by the municipal commissioner.
Under Section 188 of IPC, disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant, a flouter can be imprisoned for a month which can be extended up to six months.
BMC officials said a mask is compulsory at weddings, gymnasiums, clubs, night clubs, restaurants, cinemas, multi-religious places, playgrounds and parks, public places, shopping malls and all private offices. Establishments are liable for action if more than 50 people are found on their premises at the same time, they said.
Other than 300 marshals at railway stations across the city, the police have also been empowered to take action against maskless citizens. In its own setups, the BMC will station teachers to keep an eye on mask offenders.
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