Planning a wedding at a convention hall? You will need to get passes for each guest.
Tightening Covid-19 norms in the state, the government on Saturday decided to make passes mandatory for all weddings and other functions that are held in convention halls or choultries.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Revenue Minister R Ashoka and Health Minister K Sudhakar with deputy commissioners of all districts.
The district administrations will issue a limited number of passes for each function and only those with passes will be allowed to attend the event. The number of passes is as determined by the recent guidelines. For marriages, it is 100 for closed venues and 200 in open spaces.
Ashoka said passes would be issued by the district administration through the Tahsildars. The local police will monitor the implementation of the guidelines. "The rule will be applicable to anyone who books a convention hall henceforth. If anyone is found violating the norms, the convention hall will be sealed," Ashoka said.
The government has also decided to crack down on fairs that draw a huge crowd. "First of all, such fairs will not be allowed. If it's a big fair, the deputy commissioner and police superintendent of the district must visit the spot a month earlier and ensure that it is cancelled. For smaller fairs, the deputy police superintendent and the tahsildars will be responsible. District officials will be held responsible if the norms are not implemented," Ashoka said.
District officials have also been asked to ensure that there is adequate land and infrastructure available for conducting last rites of the deceased, he added.
Ashoka spoke about the need to prepare for an imminent third wave of the pandemic. "Many countries across the globe are seeing a third wave. In the second wave that we're in, we have to be adequately prepared by increasing vaccination and tests. We have instructed all officials to take it up on war-footing. The progress in each district will be monitored," he said.