On a high after attending marriage celebrations, the guests coming out of marriage palaces in Punjab may find themselves blowing into breath analyzers. For, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided to apply brakes to drunken driving by directing the state Police to setup nakas outside the marriage palaces.

The state Home Affairs and Justice Department, on the Chief Minister’s directions, has written to the state Director General of Police (DGP) to check, with breath analyzers, all those driving vehicles, especially after attending weddings. The main object behind the directions is to prevent accidents in view of the marriage season considering the prevailing foggy condition.

To prevent road accidents during the wedding season and amidst increasing fog, the Punjab Police has been asked to clampdown on the drunken drivers outside the marriage palaces due to increase in accident cases in the State during the past few days.

As per the orders, directions have been issued to the state police to start a camoaign, under which, the drivers will be stopped, and asked to take breath alcohol tests outside the marriage palaces, across the State.

At the same time, the state DGP Gaurav Yadav has asked the district police units to intensify the checking outside the marriage palaces. The DGP, following State Government’s orders, has asked the entire police force to step up preparations to bring down the rate of road accidents.

As a result, now outside every marriage palace, policemen will be seen checking vehicles of guests coming out of the wedding halls or marriage palaces, and testing them with alco-sensor kits.

Notably, there is a provision of imprisonment of six months or a fine of Rs 10,000 or both for driving under the influence of alcohol. But if caught for the second time, the violators will get two-year jail term or a fine of Rs 15,000 or both.

But in Punjab, while implementing the Motor Vehicle Act-2019, the erstwhile Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government had removed the section of punitive action to be taken on drunk and drive.

Instead, the then Congress Government had added a new section, under which a provision of Rs 1,000 was made for driving in a mentally or physically incapacitated condition. The penalty amount fixed by the Central Government under drink and drive is not applicable in Punjab.