Punjab CM advises sweet shop owners to give free masks to customers

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday advised the sweet shop owners to give free masks to the customers on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

This has come days after the Chief Minister had permitted the sweet shop owners to open their shops on August 2, despite the lockdown in the state.

In order to promote and popularise the usage of masks, District Collectors have been asked to advise the owners of sweet shops in their respective districts to give a pair of masks free of cost with the purchase of sweets.

With the steady rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Punjab, Singh has warned of increasing the amount of fine on violation of mandatory wearing of a mask. Punjab is currently imposing a penalty of Rs 500 in every instance of violation. However, with a large number of violations being reported from many districts, the Chief Minister has said the amount can be hiked further if people do not behave responsibly.

The Chief Minister has recently directed the Health Department to install mask vending machines at bus stands and other strategic points. In addition, free masks are being distributed to the poor along with their ration kits.

( With inputs from ANI )