First day of extended restrictions: people less out on roads, fine worth Rs 3.71 lakh collected

Ranchi: From Sunday onwards restrictions were further increased as part of Health Safety Week during which across the state 844 instances of lockdown violations were reported.

A report from the police headquarters said that during the special drive conducted by the police across the 24 districts a total of 844 incidents of lockdown violation was reported while 911 people were caught without wearing masks. During the day fine worth Rs 3,71,260 was collected while from Ranchi alone a fine of Rs 1.60 lakh was collected. In the day a total of 9 firs were registered for violation of the guidelines while 2 shops were sealed and a person was arrested.

Meanwhile, as the government had made e-pass mandatory for stepping out of the homes in their private vehicles less crowd was seen in the markets and roads remained vacant as usual as people preferred to remain in their homes.

At all the prominent spots policemen were deputed who were spotted demanding for e-pass from every person and those who did not have the pass they were being sent back to their homes.

In Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dumka, Garhwa, Giridih and Dhanbad police conducted checking for the pass and even deployment of policemen was increased in the bordering areas with the neighbouring state.

A report from Giridih said that crowd was less in the markets while shops selling essential commodities remained opened. Private four wheelers and two wheelers remained off the road and people on the move without a pass were sent back to their homes.

On the other hand, in Dumka also the policemen were spotted demanding the pass from the commuters while remained alert on bordering areas of Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in Garhwa and Jharkhand-Odisha border in Simdega.

In Medninagar of Palamu throughout the day police conducted a vehicle checking drive in which it collected a fine of Rs 500 each from the travellers who were out on the roads without a valid pass. Since the majority of the people did not have the pass they were let off with a strict warning.

In Hazaribagh also the police conducted vehicle checking drive in the city and other blocks. People without pass caught by the police were made to do sit ups by the police. A report from Jamshedpur said that all the prominent markets and roads in the city saw very less crowd and traffic was very low. Shops that were selling essential items also closed down their shutters at 2 pm and people preferred to remain in their homes.

On the Jharkhand-Bengal border at Behragora only those people having the e-pass and those who tested negative for Covid were allowed to enter inside and those who tested positive were sent back. At the checkpost in three shifts magistrates have been deputed who will monitor the movement of the vehicles.