Highlights
- No mask, no petrol, diesel, CNG rule in Odisha to make masks compulsory
- Filling station owners in Odisha asked to adhere to social distancing norms
- Some grocery, vegetable shops refuse to sell items to those without masks
Bhubaneswar: The petrol pumps across Odisha on Friday came out with a stringent rule, No Mask, No Petrol/Diesel /CNG, in a bid to strictly enforce government’s order making wearing of face masks mandatory while going out of homes. The fuel outlets decision was announced by Utkal Petroleum Dealers Association general secretary Sanjay Lath. There are about 1600 fuel outlets across Odisha. Mr. Lath said,
The decision has been taken to ensure that people follow the government’s guidelines.
Also Read: Odisha To Set Up Two Special COVID-19 Hospitals With Total Capacity Of 950 Beds
Reports from Bhubaneswar and various parts of the state said that grocery and vegetable shop owners are also denying the sale of items to the customers not wearing masks. Mr. Lath said thousands of employees of the fuel stations are putting their lives at risk for the sake of duty and are also susceptible to infection. He said,
In the process (mask-wearing), both the employees and the customers will be protected from the highly infectious disease.
The association general secretary said all filling station owners in the state have been asked to strictly adhere to the social distancing norm in their outlets.
Also Read: No Need To Panic Over Availability Of Personal Protective Equipment: Health Ministry
The state government has made it mandatory for the citizens to wear masks while stepping out of homes. It has also decided to impose fines on the violators, Rs. 200 for the first three offences and Rs. 500 on every subsequent violation. The must-wear mask order came into force from the previous day morning everywhere in the state. In view of the shortage of N-95 masks in the markets, it allowed people to use a clean handkerchief or a piece of cloth with multiple folds to cover the nose and mouth while going out. The order exempted children below two years of age and asthma patients.
