Ordinance to protect health staff: Haryana designates DIG-rank official as nodal officer

The step was taken for the implementation of the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, to stringently handle the attacks on the health workers and those in the field helping in fight against Covid-19

Haryana government on Thursday designated a DIG-rank official as the state nodal officer and all police commissioners and superintendents of police as the district nodal officers for the implementation of the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, to stringently handle the attacks on the health workers and those in the field helping in fight against Covid-19.

HT Image

Additional chief secretary (home) Vijai Vardhan said in a release that as per the said ordinance, any act of committing or abetment of violence by any person against any healthcare person serving during an epidemic or loss to any property during an epidemic had been made a cognisable and non-bailable offence punishable under the said ordinance.

He said the district nodal officers have been directed to regularly submit reports to the state nodal officer, who will then submit an action taken report in consultation with the director general of police to the state home department.

It may be recalled that adopting the zero-tolerance approach to ensure the safety and security of doctors and health workers working 24x7 to fight the Covid-19 battle, the central government has amended the Epidemic Act under which the violators would be liable to serve imprisonment for a term which would not be less than six months and may extend up to a period of seven years and with a penalty of anywhere between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh.