Chandigarh (Face2News)

With a view to containing the spread of Coronavirus in the state, the Haryana Government has restricted the number of persons at indoor and outdoor social gatherings. At indoor functions, a maximum of 50 per cent of the hall capacity will be allowed with a ceiling of 200 persons. At functions being held in open spaces, gatherings will be allowed with the ceiling of 500 persons. For funerals up to 50 persons will be allowed.

Financial Commissioner Revenue and Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department-cum-Member, Haryana State Executive Committee, Mr Sanjeev Kaushal, said the capacity of indoor places would be specified by the Urban Local Bodies/ Department concerned keeping in view calculated correlation between the number of chairs/seating or standing capacity and the covered area in sq. yards or sq. feet.

This has been done under the revised standard operating procedure for the social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious political functions and other congregations. All functions will be allowed with strict adherence to the appropriate COVID-19 behavior such as social distancing norms, wearing of face masks, sanitization, hand hygiene and provision for thermal scanning, etc.

Financial Commissioner Revenue and Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department-cum-Member, Haryana State Executive Committee, Mr Sanjeev Kaushal, said the capacity of indoor places would be specified by the Urban Local Bodies/ Department concerned keeping in view calculated correlation between the number of chairs/seating or standing capacity and the covered area in sq. yards or sq. feet.

Mr Kaushal said that organisers of social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious, political functions and other congregations shall take prior permission from the district magistrates. The DMs will issue permission after seeking necessary NOCs from the concerned departments, including the police.

The Deputy Commissioners shall constitute joint inspection teams for enforcing these instructions and should ensure extensive checking and take action against the violators as per law, rules, instructions and directions issued from time to time by the state government.

These directions shall be enforced by the Deputy Commissioners in their respective districts, and any violations shall be punishable under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 as well as under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, as per national directives, Mr Kaushal added.