HP police collect ₹1.19 crore in fines for Covid safety violations

Shimla Since the Covid-19 outbreak in March till November, when a fresh spurt has been reported, the Himachal Pradesh police have collected ₹1.19 crore in fines from people not wearing masks or disregarding social distancing rules in public places.

A decision to double the fines from ₹500 to ₹1,000 was taken at a cabinet meeting on November 12.

About 30,340 people were fined for not following safety norms and spitting in public places, most of them in marketplaces or travelling in cars without wearing masks.

Kullu leads, with ₹28. 37 lakh collected

Kullu police collected the maximum amount of ₹28. 37 lakh, followed by Una with ₹19.10 lakh and Chamba with ₹11.74 lakh. The “maximum number of violators were locals, followed by tourists, who did not wear masks while travelling,” said Kullu superintendent of police Gaurav Singh .

A strict watch was being maintained on tourists as their numbers were increasing during the festive season, he said.

Kangra police collected ₹11.31 lakh while in other districts the amount was below ₹10 lakh.

Una, which shared a border with Punjab, had maximum violations, with more than 7,758 persons fined for not wearing masks, most of them industrial labourers, truck drivers and interstate travellers.

On renewed efforts to combat the Covid-19 surge, director general of police Sanjay Kundu said, “Police is always at its best role. We will again put our best step forward in the fight against the pandemic.”

People were not just fined, but masks were also distributed for their safety, he added.

1,200 police personnel tested positive

Even as policemen were struggling to enforce standard operating procedures strictly, 1,200 of them in frontline duty were infected.

Most of the personnel were from the third battalion, with 108 cases and the Police Training Centre in Kangra with 18 affected. Shimla district, with 109 cases, was among the fourth worst affected districts.