UP announces ban on religious or public functions till Sept 30

UP government under Yogi Adityanath has also launched a crackdown on violations of restrictions.

The Uttar Pradesh government has confirmed that it will not grant permission for holding religious or public programmes till September 30 keeping in mind the coronavirus pandemic.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked district authorities in the state to not allow religious programmes.(ANI Photo)

According to additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi, on Thursday, chief minister Yogi Adityanth, in a meeting with the senior officers, said the district magistrates should not give permission for religious or public programmes till September 30.

Awasthi said that the state government had also instructed officials to ensure that the restrictions including closure of markets on Saturday and Sunday are strictly implemented. The administration has also asked for carrying out an intensive cleanliness, sanitization and fogging drive in all the districts during the weekly closure of the markets. The drive was important in attempts to break the coronavirus infection chain in the state, Awasthi said.

Awasthi added that the state police had collected Rs 70 crore in penalty from people who flouted the rules and restrictions in place to contain the pandemic since end of March, when a nationwide lockdown was first clamped.

The police have also seized 69,765 vehicles and registered FIR against 2.5 lakh people under section 188, he said.

The number of containment zones in the state had increased to 15, 471 and the health teams had surveyed 14.35 lakh houses and 82.35 lakh people.