Rs 13.95 crore collected from mask rule violators in Bengaluru so far

Marshals say people are dropping their guard when they need to be extra-careful against the new variant

Marshals have intensified their drive against people not wearing masks.

The total number violations between May 2020 and November 28, 2021 in Bengaluru is 5.78 lakh and the fine collected is a whopping Rs 13.95 crore.

The number of cases registered for violation of social distance norms is 33,204. Marshals have collected Rs 75.98 lakh by way of penalty.

“It is only education and awareness that can get people to wear masks and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. People have let their guard down, but we have intensified the drive because of the new variant,” Chief Marshal Col Rajbir Singh told Metrolife.

Deputed across the city are 54 teams of marshals. Each team comprises four marshals. “We have 27 divisions in the city and we monitor all of them by working in two shifts. The argument that we often hear is, ‘There is no corona, so why should we mask up?’ Explaining the seriousness requires a lot of effort and patience,” he says.

Anyone not wearing a mask in a public place is fined Rs 250. “This is a small amount and doesn’t serve as a deterrent,” he says.

The marshals have shifted their focus to crowded areas such as markets, bus stops, malls and areas like the Kempegowda bus terminus where people gather in large numbers.

“We don’t stop people on the main road where there is continuous movement and people aren’t standing in close proximity,” adds Singh.