Hotel Association upset over police revising prohibitory order

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru city police had again revised the prohibitory orders. Commissioner of Police Kamal Pant said that Section 144 will be effective from 12 pm on December 31 to 6 am on January 1, 2021.

Exasperated over the flip flop by the police department on the change in timings, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association President PC Rao said that it was not good on the part of the government and the officials of the police department to issue an order every other day and then changing the order all of a sudden.

"Those in the business sector need time to adjust to the orders issued. So we request the government to think deeply and discuss before issuing any order as the orders which are issued suddenly cause a lot of inconvenience," he said. The Hans India spoke with a few citizens of the city who believe that the government steps are correct.

"I feel that the government has taken the right step given the fact that a mutated virus has entered our state. We should not be caught unprepared as the real party can only take place in an environment free of the coronavirus," Lalithshree, a local resident at Kanakapura said.

Another resident, Ashwin Singh, has a mixed opinion. He opined that the government itself lowered the guard during the festivals and now are shutting down everything when the threat is huge. "Nobody wears a mask and the social distancing norms are hardly implemented. Any kind of celebration should be stopped till we have a conducive atmosphere. I am with the city police," he told The Hans India.

However, the conditions/restrictions notified in the original order remain the same. Any form of gatherings in public places, main roads, open areas, parks, grounds for the purpose of New Year celebrations was strictly prohibited and the in-house celebrations in residential complexes and private clubs may be held for the residents and members only.

'No-Man Zones' were created at MG Road, Church Street, Brigade Road, Koramangala and Indiranagar. Only those who have booked in advance will be allowed in pubs and restaurants.

The police have banned unnecessary traveling, bike wheeling, and loitering on the streets and all flyovers were closed for traffic. Major signals and junctions will also be barricaded to regulate traffic across the city.

The steps were taken by the state government to contain the spread of the covid. With the threat of mutated virus looming over the state wherein seven cases of the infection have come out the government has upped the ante.