THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Foreseeing an imminent surge in Covid-19 cases in the state, the government has proposed a local body-level containment strategy. For the same, fresh hands will be appointed for monitoring and enforcement.
As part of the plan, Gazetted officers of various departments will be appointed as sector magistrates and Covid Sentinels in local bodies (depending on the area of the local body to be monitored).
Officers thus appointed will be deemed as special executive magistrates to monitor and enforce all Covid containment measures.
“Local body-level enforcement is needed to check Covid surge. Officers thus appointed will work alongside the regular front-line departments like health, revenue and disaster management, police, LSGD, and others," said a source.
It is learned that respective District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA) will appoint the officer as the situation warrants.
At the same time, a directive from the Disaster Management Department says the officers shall focus on break the chain campaign or SMS - social distancing, masks, sanitizing, quarantine and isolation, compliance of Covid protocol in gatherings (marriages/ funerals/auditorium/others), micro containment measures, reverse quarantine, compliance of Covid protocol in shops, markets and commercial establishments, awareness campaigns and such other matters as advised by the chairperson of a DDMA.
According to the health department, by bringing in gazetted officers empowered as special executive magistrates a change in situation is likely to happen as they can invoke their power to arrest or penalise those who flout containment measures.
According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, special executive magistrates have the power similar to that of executive magistrates.