Police department on Tuesday deployed personnel in markets like New Market, Chowk Bazar, Jumerati and others to control the crowd and assembly of people during the festive season amidst pandemic.
The move came after Free Press published a new report highlighting the shift of the police department's focus on checking vehicles instead of ensuring the enforcement of Covid-19 guidelines. Earlier, police teams were busy manning the rotaries and roads checking vehicles and issuing challans at a time when the markets were witnessing festive rush. Blatant violations of Covid-19 guidelines could be seen as shoppers and those visiting puja pandals showed no or little regard for social distancing and face cover. Even New Market Traders Association had demanded for deployment of police personnel specially women cops and teams of Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to impose spot fine on people flouting the guidelines.
DIG Irshad Wali, who on Monday assured to deploy cops in market places, said that police teams are positioned in markets to check crowds. This being festive season, people in large numbers are visiting markets but during the pandemic it is necessary to ensure the enforcement of Covid-19 protocol and guidelines, he added.
The district administration has already issued guidelines regarding markets operations during festivals but the onus is on us to ensure proper implementation of guidelines specially maintaining social distancing and wearing masks,” the DIG.
