Many district authorities in Delhi have completely stopped issuing Rs 500 challan to those not wearing face masks in public places while some others have relaxed enforcement even as an official order abolishing mask mandate is yet to be issued, officials said on Tuesday.
This comes after the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in its meeting held last month, decided to do away with wearing face masks after September 30 amid a decline in Covid cases. The minutes of the meeting held on September 22 was accessed by PTI.
A revenue department official said, "During the meeting, the chief secretary had informed the DDMA that the government had invoked provisions of the Epidemic Act, 1897, and had issued order for imposition of Rs 500 as fine for not wearing mask in public places, which lapsed on September 30.
"This means that the mask mandate is over. Only a clarity (through the order) is awaited whether it will be extended." Another revenue department official said the order on the removal of mask mandate will be issued by the Health department and the file is "in movement".
Officials said while in some districts, challans are being issued, others have stopped it and are focusing more on creating awareness. An official from Southwest district said, "Since the cases have declined, the issuing challans for not wearing masks has also reduced. It is being followed in densely populated areas, and that too in low numbers.
"In other areas, the challans are not being issued and people are instead being sensitised the importance of wearing them." Some districts have stopped enforcement altogether.
"We are not issuing challans as of now. Anyway, the enforcement is tightened when cases increase but since the numbers are quite low and the infection is also not severe, the norms are relaxed," said an official from West district.
An official from the Central district echoed similar views and said the number of enforcement teams has been reduced and people in crowded places are told to wear masks and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
The decision to revoke the mask mandate during the September 22 DDMA meeting was anything but unanimous and there were many differences, according to the minutes of the meeting.
Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar had in the meeting said the current situation was comfortable but the guard could not be lowered as the variants keep coming up.
The Health ministry had earlier advised caution in view of multiple festivals – from September 26 to December 31 – and likely mass gatherings across the country. Niti Aayog member Dr V K Paul had in the meeting emphasised that surveillance was still needed as the virus is still present and its mutations and variants have emerged from time to time.
The chief secretary had suggested that a "self discipline mode" may be tried now as the public is well aware of its responsibilities and what constitutes a Covid-appropriate behaviour. Revenue minister Kailash Gahlot in the same meeting had reiterated that there were "practical difficulties" in the enforcement of mask mandate, and had stressed the need to relax the rule.
The meeting chaired by LG V K Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in attendance, had summarily agreed that though wearing of masks was useful in maintaining a Covid-appropriate behaviour, the order of compulsory wearing of masks under the Epidemic Act may not be extended beyond September 30. The DDMA also agreed that the fine of Rs 500 for not wearing masks in public places will stand withdrawn after September 30, the minutes added.
(With PTI Inputs)
