Not wearing masks on railway premises now punishable under Railway Act, fine up to Rs 500: Railways

Not wearing masks on railway premises and in trains can attract a fine of up to Rs 500, with the national transporter now incorporating it as an offense under the Railway Act, according to an order issued on Saturday.

This is the latest in a slew of measures that the railways have taken to ensure compliance with the various COVID-19 protocols issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs to restrict the spread of the virus. ''One of the specific guidelines is to wear masks in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for movement of trains as brought out by Indian Railways on May 11, 2020, says that it should be advised to all passengers that they shall be wearing face cover/ mask at entry and during travel,'' order issued by the railways said.

The mandatory use of masks and the fine will now be listed under the Indian Railways (Penalties for activities affecting cleanliness at Railway Premises) Rules, 2012, which also has the provision of fines for those found spitting on rail premises, it said.

''In view of the COVID-19 situation, controlling spitting and act of similar nature due to any person not wearing a mask and entering railway premises (including trains) is important to avoid the creation of unclean and unhygienic conditions which may cause danger to life and public health, '' the order said. ''Accordingly, to prevent spitting and act of similar nature and thus, to ensure the wearing of face masks or face cover by all persons at railway premises (including trains), fines (up to 500) under Indian Railways (Penalties for activities affecting cleanliness at Railway Premises) Rules, 2012, shall be imposed by railway officials...,'' it stated.

The order also said that this would come into immediate effect for a period of six months till further instructions are issued in this regard.

A record single-day rise of 2,34,692 cases and 1,341 fatalities have pushed India's COVID-19 tally to 1,45,26,609 and the death toll due to the viral disease to 1,75,649, the health ministry said on Saturday. The number of active coronavirus cases in the country has surpassed the 16-lakh mark, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase for the 38th day in a row, the tally of active COVID-19 cases has climbed to 16,79,740 in the country, accounting for 11.56 percent of its total caseload, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 87.23 percent.