Court expresses displeasure over people not wearing masks

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court has expressed displeasure over people not wearing masks in Uttar Pradesh and has directed some responsible police officer to inform the court as to why steps were not being taken to implement court’s directions to ensure cent percent use of masks in the state.

While hearing a clutch of PILs filed last year regarding spread of Covid cases in the state, the court had directed the people to observe hundred per cent masking. Besides, the court had also directed the police to see that one and all wear masks.

The court had made it clear that non-wearing of masks should entail penalties as have been enumerated in the Pandemic Act and other relevant laws. Besides, crowding should be stopped with immediate effect. The control of number of guests in marriages and other social functions etc should be observed and any violation should be strictly punished, the court had added.

Besides, the court had directed that the schools where small children go should not be asked to start physical classes. If, however, for any reason schools are going ahead with physical classes then all guidelines issued by the state government should be followed in letter and spirit. Institutions where students above the Class 10 have to compulsorily attend classes should observe social distancing and wear masks, the court added.

“Eateries should see that no food is served in the open, that is to say, people should take covered food in packets and should eat them at their home. Within the restaurants, tables should be laid in such a manner that social distancing is properly observed”, the court had directed.

During the course of hearing on March 22, the police department informed that so far as masking was concerned, in between March 1 and 21, 2021, it had challaned 1192 persons in Prayagraj. Court appointed advocate commissioner Chandan Sharma also informed that almost nobody was wearing masks. Taking a serious note of these submissions, the division bench comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Ajit Kumar observed, “This small number of penalisation shows that the police have also become complacent.”

So far as observance of the Covid guidelines in the high court is concerned, the court directed the counsel appearing for the high court to inform as to how guidelines would be followed. The court has fixed March 26, 2021 as the next date hearing of this PIL.