Bhubaneswar: Tightening screws on the enforcement of Covid-19 norms in Odisha in order to put a lease on the steady rise in positive cases in the State, the Odisha Police continued its special drive against the offenders on Friday.
As per the data available, the police have collected a whopping Rs 27,18,000 as fines from people for violating the pandemic regulations in the last 24 hours.
Despite repeated appeals by the government and massive awareness as well as enforcement drives by the police, people continue to throw the Covid-19 safety protocols including social distancing, use of mask and no large congregation norms to the wind, said a police official.
As per the official data, altogether three cases have been registered against Covid-19 rule violators during the period. A total of 15 persons have been arrested for flouting the norms and as many as 749 vehicles seized.
A day earlier, the Odisha government had revised penalty for people found without masks in public places.
As per the notification issued by the State health department, a violator will henceforth have to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 for not wearing a mask. For the second offence a similar fine will be charged on the violators.
Last year, following a surge in infections, the fine amount for not wearing a mask in public places was increased from the initial Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.
According to senior Odisha Police officials, action has been taken against 21,201 persons for violating Covid-19 protocols in the State and a fine amounting to Rs 51,69,350 collected in the past two days.