Bolangir: Even though the government of Odisha has made wearing of masks mandatory for all those who are stepping out of their homes, people in this town are not following the norm.
Despite repeated appeals by the district administration people here have been flouting rules with impunity. The police decided to clamp down on the mask violators Monday. Approximately 100 people were fined in this town Monday for not wearing masks. The police imposed a fine of Rs 50 each on the violators. They also gave the violators a mask each and asked them to go back home immediately.
Inspector-in-charge of Bolangir town police station Sangram Patnaik informed that in future police will be stricter on those without masks. He said that henceforth fines of Rs 200 each will be imposed on those not wearing masks as per the guideline of the Odisha government.
It should be also stated here that 20 persons had to cough up fines of Rs 200 each Monday for not wearing masks at Boinda Chowk under Kishorenagar block in Angul district.
Kishorenagar tehsildar Laxmiprasad Sahu, supervisor Madhuri Nayak and police officials of the Handapa police station caught these violators during routine checking.
PNN