Ahmedabad: Police collect Rs 15.20 lakh fine in single day as mask rule violations increase by 616%

On Sunday, in a new record, police collected a huge sum of Rs 15.20 lakh in fines as 1, 520 locals violated the mask guidelines.

Ever since the lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March earlier this year, one guideline which was made must for citizens across the country was wearing of masks. Not just in India, but globally, different governments have asked the locals to wear masks while leaving their home. However, despite several reminders, locals in Ahmedabad are still flouting rules.

Despite the Gujarat government increasing the fine on those flouting social distancing, mask guidelines to 1, 000 from 500, it does not seem to have made an impact as the violations have now increased by 616%.

As reported by The Times of India, August 15 was the day when the state government had increased the fine. On the same day, the police collected 2.12 lakhs in fines. On Sunday, in a new record, police collected Rs 15.20 lakh in fine as 1, 520 locals violated the rules.

Expressing concern, DCP city control, Harshad Patel shared his views on the excuses being given by violaters.

“When people are caught not wearing masks, they give excuses like they are not comfortable wearing it or they have a strong immune system. Some of them even said that they got infected with the virus earlier even though they kept wearing the mask,” Patel told TOI.

The residents, on the other hand, reckon that the police are also fining the locals in order to meet targets.

"I was caught in June by cops near Indira Bridge as I was not wearing helmet. But they chose to give me a memo for not wearing mask. When asked, they said that they have been given targets by senior officers," said a resident.

The COVID-19 tally in Ahmedabad district rose to 33,725 on Sunday with the addition of 172 new cases, the Gujarat health department said.

With four more patients succumbing to the infection, the toll went up to 1,774, it said.

A total of 156 patients--135 from the city and 21 from rural areas--were discharged after treatment in the day, raising the count of recoveries in the district to 27,713, the department said in a release.