Yogi govt imposes fine for flouting COVID norms, orders safe return of migrants

Noida: In a bid to contain the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday (April 20) amended the Epidemic Control ordinance to bring stricter punishments for flouting safety guidelines.

The government amended the Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance, 2020, under which those who are caught not wearing masks or face covers in public would be fined Rs 1000 on the first violation.

Repeating the offense would attract a fine of Rs 10,000, as per the new rules.

Apart from this, those who are caught spitting in public would have to pay a fine of Rs 500.

The measures have been taken in order to check the spread of the virus which is wreaking havoc across the state.

Yogi Adityanath orders safe return of migrants

With the imposition of lockdown in Delhi, Maharashtra, and other states, thousands of migrants have once again started flocking back to their hometowns in Uttar Pradesh, just like it happened last year.

To make their return safe and easy, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered the officials to ensure that all the migrants returning from other states should be provided means of transport.

The CM has instructed the state home department and the transport department to ensure that the migrants are returned safely and that all necessary arrangements must be done in this regard.

Last year too, the Yogi government had helped the migrant workers of the state to travel back to their villages and hometowns.

Earlier today, the UP government moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court`s order to impose lockdown in its five worst-COVID-19 affected cities. The apex court stayed for two weeks the High Court order directing weeklong lockdown in 5 major COVID-19 affected cities - Allahabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Gorakhpur - of Uttar Pradesh.

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