Move is a fallout of surge in COVID-19 cases and citizens’ recklessness
Cops take action against people for flouting the mask rule in Dharavi. File/Pradeep Dhivar
Dangling a carrot and a stick at the same time, Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has asked senior inspectors of all police stations in the city to take strict action against those found not wearing masks.
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While he has given each zone a target of 1,000 cases a day, the police chief said one half of the fine collected will be used for police welfare and the other will be given to the BMC.
Sources said cops must meet their daily targets else they won’t be allowed to go home. In the past week, city police have collected fines of over Rs 1 crore from 51,278 mask-less people.
The police chief’s message to his staff reads, “Action against persons not wearing face masks must improve drastically. Each Zone must target at least 1,000 cases per day. There is a spike in COVID19 cases, so we need to be strict. Also remember that 50 percent of the fine collected goes towards our welfare activities. All SrPIs plz improve your PS performance & achieve the zonal target of 1000 cases per day.”
Police PRO S Chaitanya said the tougher measures are the fallout of a surge in cases in the city and recklessness on the part of many Mumbaikars. “We are doing our best to protect people from COVID. People should also help us and follow all the government guidelines including wearing masks, maintaining social distancing in public places,” he said.
However, the diktat is tough to implement, said a few cops. One of them who did not wish to be identified said, “We divide the target among our beat marshals, constables, nakabandi point officers and other staff who are doing their best in the field. It is difficult to complete the target as 80 per cent of people are wearing masks.”
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