In a bid to stem the spread of Coronavirus, the Gujarat Govt on Monday increased the fine for not wearing mask in public places to Rs 1,000 from the present Rs 500.
The decision came after the High Court of Gujarat in its order last month asked the Govt to collect a minimum fine of Rs 1,000 from those found without mask in public places.
In the wake of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state, the HC had observed that “masks are logically the best defense individuals have against Covid-19”.
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani said that “Following the high court directive, the penalty for not wearing mask in public will be Rs 1,000 from August 11 onwards".
To stop human-to-human transmission of the virus, Rupani urged people not to come out of their homes to celebrate festivals, including Janmashtami which falls on Tuesday.
The Govt of Gujarat had recently increased the fine for not wearing mask to Rs 500 from Rs 200.
During a hearing in High Court last month on a sou motu (taken by court on its own) PIL about various aspects related to coronavirus, the state government informed the court that the hike of Rs 300 led to a significant decrease in the number of people who violated the rule.
However, the HC said some people still do not adhere to the rule, & asked the Govt to increase the fine for not wearing mask in public places to a minimum of Rs 1,000.
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