Despite the state and district administration making repeated appeals to the people to stay indoors as part of the social-distancing protocol in wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, people in Kotba have been ignoring lockdown orders.
With this willful violation of the prohibitory orders promulgated under the Section 144 of the CrPC, the district and police administration have decided to take stern action against those defying the lockdown.
The relaxation in the lockdown time is been given from time to time to people to procure essential daily-use items and vegetables. They are, however, asked to rush back home after they finish their shopping.
But a large number of people are not taking the directives seriously and are moving around aimlessly, district officials said.
Even Kotba nagar panchayat chairman Virendra Kasim and other public representatives have been making announcements on regular basis, requesting people not to venture out of their homes.
All though the borders of the Jashpur district have been sealed, reports said that a wholesale vegetable market at Tapkara was open during the day and there was a large crowd of shoppers at the market, violating lockdown orders.
Photographs of the crowded market went viral on social media, alerting the police and district administration.
Following which, police took stern action against the people on two-wheelers moving within the town the limits and also people moving in groups.
In places where the people objected, police resorted to mild baton-charge to disperse them.
Heavy deployment police personnel was made at all the main road inter-junctions and town squares to restrict further assembly or movement of people, officials said.