5,000 people fined for not wearing masks in UP in past three-four days: Official

The Uttar Pradesh police has initiated action against 5,000 people in the state in recent days for not wearing masks or covering their faces and imposed fines on them, a senior government official said on Friday.

"They are being warned and asked not come out without mask or face cover," Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Information, Awanish Kumar Awasthi told reporters here.

"Wearing masks has become mandatory in the state. In past three-four days, its strict implementation is being ensured. Action has been taken against 5,000 people for not complying with the orders. Rs 100 fine has been realised from all of them," he said.

Awasthi said that permission has been granted to 1,199 trains to bring migrant labourers back to the state and over 16.50 lakh of them are expected to arrive in the next few days.

"Of 1,199, 930 trains have arrived so far in the state. On Friday, 117 trains are coming. Till now over 20 lakh migrants have arrived in the state in trains, buses and other modes of transport," he added.

The official said that of the total trains, 153 have arrived in Gorakhpur, 71 in Jaunpur, 66 in Lucknow, 10 in Agra, 37 in Ballia, 42 in Allahabad, 41 in Pratapgarh, 57 in Varanasi, 54 in Gonda, 45 in Basti and 30 in Ayodhya and other stations.

The maximum of 379 trains have arrived in the state from Gujarat, bringing over 5.36 lakh migrants, followed by 192 from Maharashtra, 159 from Punjab, 47 from Delhi, 35 from Karnataka and 30 from Rajasthan, he said, adding that over 2 lakh people are coming to the state every day.

"We are taking it as a challenge and our district magistrates are working day and night to receive the migrants, who are being tested and those with symptoms being isolated. We have got 70,000 to one lakh migrants in many districts," Awasthi said.

"After their home-quarantine is completed, the state government will be providing them jobs as per their skills, data of which is being collected," he said.

The government is also providing Rs 1,000 and food packets to the migrants, the official added.