Bengaluru: BBMP collects Rs 3 crore in 4 months for violation of COVID-19 guidelines

The BBMP has netted nearly Rs 3 crore in the past four months by penalising citizens for not wearing masks and maintaining social distance. The civic body has provided the information in a memo filed before a division bench led by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka on Thursday during a hearing on a PIL petition.

Bengaluru: The BBMP has collected a total of Rs 3 crore as penalty from people for not wearing masks and not maintaining social distance ever since the COVID-19 guidelines were put in place.

According to a submission made by the BBMP in the high court, over 1.25 lakh people were fined for not wearing masks and Rs 2.6 crores has been collected from them.

Similarly, Rs 31.5 lakhs has been collected from those who failed to maintain social distance.

The BBMP provided the information in a memo filed before a division bench led by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka on Thursday during a hearing on a PIL petition.

The civic body further informed the court that it would start programmes to sensitise people to wearing masks and maintaining social distance.

The government had made it mandatory for everyone to wear a facemask while venturing outside their house and maintain social distance as COVID-19 cases increased in the country.

It had instructed all local bodies to collect fine from those violating this rule.

Recently the state government lowered down the fine for not wearing masks from Rs 1,000 to Rs 250 after many residents got furious over the heavy fine.