'Marriages, events permitted during weekend curfew'

Marriages and other events, planned months ago, will be permitted during the weekend curfew, announced by the government to check the spread of Covid-19, if the guest list does not exceed 50 members, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said on Wednesday.

The certification of the list of 50 guests and issuing of passes to guests will be done by officials concerned. The guest list should be submitted to Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner if the event is being planned within the Corporation limits. The list should be submitted to the City Municipal Council Commissioner or Town Municipal Council officials if the event is held in urban local body limits.

As it will be difficult to issue passes planned during this weekend, guests included in the list should carry the marriage invitation card and an identity card (Voter ID or Aadhaar Card). Only the invitee will be allowed to travel in a car and cannot ferry guests not included in the list of invitees. All the documents should be with invitees while attending the marriage, the DC stressed.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police N Shashi Kumar said, “Overloading of people in cars while travelling to marriages will not be permitted.”

Even if marriages are held in temples, the guest list should be restricted to 50. “Photographers and priests are included in the list of 50 persons attending the marriage,” Kumar said.

To a query on religious rituals planned in temples to mark 'Brahmakalashotsava' celebrations, the DC said that all the rituals by priests should be carried out in absentia of devotees. People have been prohibited from taking part in the rituals in the temples. The entry of the public to all the places of worship has been banned, he added.

Kumar clarified that people cannot travel with their family during weekend curfew citing emergency issues. The relaxation during weekend curfew will be provided from 6 am to 10 am to help the public purchase essential commodities.