Why Officials Not Slapping Fines on People Flouting Covid-19 Rules inside MCC Bldg

Why Officials Not Slapping Fines on People Flouting Covid-19 Rules inside MCC Bldg

• Why Officials, including MCC Commissioner, Mayor, Health Officer and other BIGWIGS of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) are Not Slapping Fines on People Flouting Covid-19 Rules while they are inside MCC Building either to pay water bills, property tax or to obtain birth certificate/other documents

Mangaluru: Even after the entire world, including India, and for that matter, Mangaluru has experienced the hardship and torture after this Covid-19 pandemic has haunted every one of us, but people are still ignorant and careless in following the guidelines of this disease in order to remain safe- it’s not only the citizens but also our Netas whom we voted into power, are the FIRST ones to break the norms/rules. Total nonsense and Total Nataka by our Netas and other authorities, who go by the motto, “We Don’t Practice What We Preach”?

Moving on to our very own Town of Educated people, we are seeing people flouting Covid-19 guidelines, especially by not maintaining social distancing or wearing face masks. The way people are moving around in the City seems like Coronavirus has totally disappeared after the government relaxed the lockdown. City buses were allowed to ply with only 30 passengers on board-but if you peep into the buses during rush hours, passengers are loaded like sardines in a bucket? Social distancing totally ignored. If questioned, the bus owners and bus crew have their silly reasons to support their mistakes- and our lovely traffic cops do not bother to fine such violators.

Now coming to the real issue of this report- We all know that MCC Commissioner Akshy Sridhar, Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar, MCC Health Officer Dr Manjayya Shetty and others MCC officials are doing a good job by getting into the City streets and cracking down on pedestrians, motorists and shopkeepers and slapping them with fines for not wearing face masks or not following social distancing. But on the other hand, the same team of MCC officials have turned a blind eye towards their clients/people inside the MCC building, who have either come to pay bills/taxes or obtain documents. Sounds Strange, but True!

Have you been to the MCC Office building located on MG/Lalbagh Road, either to pay your property tax or to get your birth certificate etc- you will be surprised to see that Social Distancing is totally ignored, and many people are moving around the complex wearing no face mask- and that is the present situation at MCC building. When you enter the building through the main entrance, the security man will sanitize your hands and the Therma check- but once you enter the building no official will bother whether you are following social distancing or wearing a mask. To get a Self Assessment (SAS) form or pay other taxes, you will have to stand in a queue, but social distancing is hardly followed-where people in the queue are brushing their bodies with each other.

Even at the counter, where a sign is pasted stating “PLEASE KEEP DISTANCE’- seems like no one understands English, and people are seen crowded at the counter- and the MCC staff seated behind the counter, don’t even bother to tell the people to maintain distance or wear face masks. ‘That’s not my duty or concern, kind of attitude’- I guess! Wow- how nice! One such counter situated very next to the entrance of MLA Vedavyas Kamath- how many times has the MLA passed by this scene of crowded people flouting COVID-19 guidelines, and said nothing? Every day during office hours, MCC Commissioner, Mayor and other officials walk through the main entrance and have turned a blind eye towards these violators. Even though it was earlier announced that property tax could be paid online, and since the software was not ready- citizens had to queue to pay their taxes before the deadline of 31 October.

Not only social distancing is not maintained at the property tax payment counter, even where a bunch of volunteers/helpers who prepare the completion of the forms, we can see people crowded near the desks- and no one cares about it. Where are all the MCC officials, Health Officer, Mayor, MCC Commissioner, and even our popular MLA Vedavyas Kamath, who has his office in the same building, when such COVID-19 guidelines abuse is going on?

Even though the lockdown has been relaxed, we are seeing Covid-19 cases increasing day by day. So, why are people still ignorant, by not following the virus guidelines? A question one would ask -“Why Some People won’t Practice Social Distancing?”- even when they are aware of the virus and its deadly impact, and ignore government advisories, and media warnings because of their obsessive need for instant gratification. Probably they are all groomed with the “Chalta Hai” attitude, and that no one can stop them. Many don’t ever think about how to behave in public, and what their duties and responsibilities are towards the society. Many are thinking that what is happening will not affect them. It is not their disease. It has happened in China, and will not affect them, I suppose. Or people are not responding to social distancing is it because they are not fully aware of the seriousness of the problem?

That symbolic gestures initiated by PM Modi like the “Janata curfew” also didn’t help, especially when they turned out to be counterproductive, and instead of encouraging people to stay at home, actually brought people together in groups, and on streets, thereby increasing the risk of spreading the virus. Although Mangaluru didn’t see such a celebration on the streets, in other cities, it did happen. Totally nonsense it was – clapping, banging vessels etc etc- a one-day Nataka! IMPLEMENTING rules/orders WON’T HELP in Kudla, authorities strictly ENFORCING them WILL HELP – and then only we could see the difference, and prevent Coronavirus/COVID-19 from spreading! A kind request to the MCC Commissioner, Mayor, Health Officer and others, is- Not only crackdown on COVID-19 rules violators on streets, but also those who are flouting such rules when they are inside the MCC building. No Discrimination of people in this regard, Please!