KARGIL, MARCH 31, 2021: In view of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases reported from various areas, the District Magistrate and Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority(DDMA),Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve today issued an order regarding COVID-19 Management Guidelines/Instructions.

The order states that it has become important to ensure strict implementation of all preventive measures including 100% wearing of masks and mandatory social distancing.

In view of the above circumstances and in supersession of all previous orders issued by the office of the Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority/ District Magistrate, Kargil in exercise of powers vested under Section-34 of Disaster Management Act 2005, the DM has authorized and empowered officers to impose and collect penalties from violators in their respective jurisdictions to ensure usage of masks and check on spitting in public places.

According to the order, Naib Tehsildars and above in Revenue, ASI and above in Police,
ASI and above in Traffic Police, Medical Officer and above in Health, TSO and above in FCS&CA, Inspector and above in Transport, Inspector and above in Municipality and Headmaster and above in Education Department have been authorized and empowered to impose and collect penalties.

The order further states that the above mentioned officers are authorized to impose a fine of Rs 500/= on the persons found without masks/spitting in the public places and Rs 500/= from the repeat offenders.

Non payment of penalty by the violators shall invite action under Section 188 of the IPC, 1860 (Act No. 45 of 1860), reads the order.

Moreover, according to the order, the realized amount shall be deposited in the District Red Cross Society (DC Office, Kargil) under proper receipt on weekly basis and the officers shall also submit consolidated reports on number of violators and amounts of fine realized to the DM’s Office on daily basis.

The officers shall also be authorised to check the labourers/workers roaming in the market and other places without registration/ violating quarantine SOPs and take strict action against the defaulters as well as concerned contractors/ house
owners.They shall also be authorized to enforce COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviours (CABs)especially in crowed places like markets, public transport etc. , maintains the order.

The order further states that all the office heads, hoteliers, shopkeepers, owners of guest houses, restaurants, dhabas, and other business establishments within the district shall ensure usage of masks and maintenance of social distancing in the offices, workplaces, hotels, restaurants/dhabas, and other business establishments/ public places by every one at all time.

It has further been ordered that the concerned contractors shall ensure incoming labourers in district Kargil, who are employed by them comes with negative RT-PCR report as mentioned in guidelines issue by State Executive Committee, LDMA vide Government Order No: 08-DM (UTL) of 2020 dated: 27-02-2021 and similarly hotel owners/ tour operators shall devise mechanism to inform tourists regarding the same.

The house owners/ landlords shall ensure compliance of 7 days quarantine for labourers/workers at their rented places and also inform nearest police station/ chowki regarding their particulars for better
monitoring of COVID-19 SOPs, reads the order.