MUMBAI MAKES MASKS COMPULSORY
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Taking a serious note of rising coronavirus cases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to implement Covid-19 regulations strictly across the city. People not wearing masks in public will be fined by the civic body, which has also decided to deploy marshals in local trains to keep an eye on those travelling without masks.
BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal on Thursday held a meeting with municipal officials and instructed them to implement Covid-19 guidelines strictly to discourage people from violating rules.
Mr Chahal issued a circular stating that wearing masks has now been made mandatory in the city.
“All persons will have to wear masks in public places including streets, shops, offices, hospital premises, local trains, and public transport services. People found violating the rule will be punished by the civic body,” it said.
To take action against people violating rules, the BMC has decided to double the number of clean-up marshals in the city from 2,400 to 4,800. In addition to this, 300 marshals will be deployed in the local trains to penalise people travelling without mask.
The Maharashtra Congress on Thursday threatened to stall the movies of film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar accusing them of not raising a voice against the spiralling prices of petrol and diesel.
State Congress chief Nana Patole alleged that these stars are acting on the directives of the BJP. “Several celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar, through their tweets, had earlier criticised the fuel price rise when the Congress-led UPA Government was in power. However, they have now kept mum despite the huge rise in fuel prices. Why are they silent now on the rising petrol and diesel prices?” he asked.
Mr Patole on Thursday flagged off the bullock cart and tractor rally organised by the Congress at Bhandara to support the farmers, who are protesting at Delhi against the Centre’s new farm bills.
“Just like they criticised the UPA Government, these celebrities are now expected to raise a voice against the policies of the Modi Government. Instead they are quiet now as they have become a puppet of the BJP. They did not speak up when the farmer’s protests were vilified by the BJP’s IT cell, but they took a stand against the farmers,” he said.
If these celebrities do not take a stand now on the injustice meted out by the Modi government, we will not let any films or shootings of Amitabh Bachchan or Akshay Kumar in Maharashtra, the Congress leader said.