Fine for Not Wearing Mask Raised to Rs 1,000 in Gujarat

In a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19, the Gujarat government on Monday increased the fine for not wearing mask in public places to Rs 1,000 from the present Rs 500.

The decision came after the Gujarat High Court in its order last month asked the government to collect a minimum fine of Rs 1,000 from those found without mask in public places.

In the wake of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state, the high court had observed that "masks are logically the best defense individuals have against COVID-19". "Following the high court directive, the penalty for not wearing mask in public will be Rs 1,000 from August 11 onwards," Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said here.

To stop human-to-human transmission of the virus, Rupani urged people not to come out of their homes to celebrate festivals, including Janmashtami which falls on Tuesday.

The Gujarat government had recently increased the fine for not wearing mask to Rs 500 from Rs 200.

During a hearing in HC last month on a sou motu (taken by court on its own) PIL about various aspects related to coronavirus, the state government informed the court that the hike of Rs 300 led to a significant decrease in the number of people who violated the rule.

However, the high court said some people still do not adhere to the rule, and asked the government to increase thefine for not wearing mask in public places to a minimum of Rs 1,000.