UP cabinet approves ordinance to protect corona warriors

Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service
Lucknow, May 7 

Concealing that one suffers from COVID-19 could lead to one to three years behind bars and a fine of up to Rs one lakh in Uttar Pradesh as the cabinet on Wednesday approved The Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance, 2020.

The state cabinet, presided over by CM Yogi Adityanath, approved the draft ordinance with the ostensible objective of giving more teeth to the existing law to protect the frontline corona warriors.

A law to this effect is expected to be introduced in the next session of the Vidhan Sabha, said a state government spokesperson.

The Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance-2020 provides for punishment ranging from three months to five years and a penalty ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh for attacking or misbehaving with corona warriors. This includes health care professionals, paramedics, those engaged in sweeping, cleaning or sanitizing or any other person empowered to take steps to prevent the spread, detection and treatment of the disease.

If the persons attacked receive grievous injuries during the operation of tracing contacts, detection and treatment in quarantine the attacker will undergo rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than six months and extendable to seven years. A fine amount of Rs one lakh to Rs five lakh is also liable.

There is punishment for an afflicted person or those knowingly exposed to an afflicted or suspected persons travelling by air, railway or public road transport. Such persons may be put in jail for a year to three years and pay a fine from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.

Running way from isolation wards, quarantine centres, hospitals and indulging in obscene vulgar conduct while under treatment have all become punishable between a year to three years in jail and fine between Rs 50 thousand to a lakh.

The ordinance specifically takes notice of those spitting, throwing dirt, urine, excreta on a doctor or other person engaged in tracing, detection, treatment or in charge of quarantines by making it similarly punishable with jail and fine.

The most stringent punishment of jail for three to ten years and fine from Rs three lakh to five lakh is reserved for those who intentionally causing affliction to five or more persons. Moreover, if such an afflicted person dies then the imprisonment period increases from seven-year to life imprisonment.

The ordinance protects those who prosecute as it clearly says that no suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against the person or government for anything that is done or intended to be done, in good faith in pursuance of the ordinance or any order under it.

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