Citizens fined for violating Covid-19 norms in Mumbai to be given masks for free: BMC

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday decided to give away free mask to those penalised for violating Covid-19 norms. According to the BMC officials, many offenders pay the fine of ₹200 but continue to roam without wearing a mask.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the BMC said, “There are citizens who pay the fine of ₹200 and continue to roam without wearing masks. Therefore, BMC will provide free masks to all citizens who are caught for not wearing a mask.”

Apart from collecting fines, the BMC has also started making violators perform community services, such as sweeping roads for an hour or cleaning graffiti, if they argue or refuse to pay the ₹200 fine for not wearing masks.

Meanwhile, HT had reported on Saturday as to how despite appealing and making it mandatory for citizens to wear a mask in public places, the number of violators has not gone down. According to (BMC)’s data, between November 6 and November 25, the number of violators booked for not wearing masks has almost doubled.

According to BMC officials, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has directed all the 24 administrative wards to intensify the drive of booking citizens for not wearing masks. As of November 28, 4.85 lakh citizens have been levied ₹200 fine and BMC has so far collected ₹10.07 crore in fines.