shops in the State capital will now shut down at 9 pm while people will not be allowed to gather on Holi at public places. In the wake of increasing Covid cases, Bhopal Collector Avinash Lavania has issued fresh set of guidelines on Friday. These orders will be immediately effective and action will be taken against violators under Section-188 of the IPC.

The order states that all shops and commercial establishments will remain closed from 9 pm to 6 pm and unnecessary movement is also restricted during this time. Hotels and restaurants will close at 9 pm but home delivery facility will be allowed till 10 pm. The Collector has also restricted dine-in orders at restaurants but take-away facility will remain operational. Gymnasiums, cinema halls and swimming pools have been closed until next orders.

The Collector has also ordered that public celebrations of festivals of all religions will remain restricted and people can celebrate at their places. Any kind of gathering, celebration in public places will remain completely banned on Holi. All offices and business establishments will remain closed on Holi and unnecessary movement will be restricted on this day.

All religious institutes in the State capital will remain closed for public until next orders, however, spiritual leaders will be allowed to perform customary worship. Devotees are requested to not enter temples.

DJs have been banned as per Collector’s orders but marriage ceremonies are allowed in the district with maximum 50 guests and with permission of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) concerned. Responsibility of compliance of masks and social distancing guidelines by those attending the functions will be of the owner of the venue. Only 20 people are allowed for funeral processions while maximum of 50 people can attend ‘Uthavanas’ and ‘Mritybhojs’.

There is a permission of organising religious, cultural, recreational, educations and sports gatherings in the district up to 50 per cent of the capacity of closed venue, but one has to seek Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s (SDM’s) permission to organise programmes with more than 100 guests. Weddings can be organised in the district with maximum 50 guests after informing the SDM concerned. All the processions, rallies and demonstrations will be completely banned in the district.

Only those involved in essential services, hospitals, airport, railway station, bus stand and industrial units will be allowed to move during this time. The person concerned will have to carry a necessary ID card to travel during lockdown, the order reads. Public construction works like that of metro will remain exempted under this order. Candidates of entrance examinations, those going to hospitals will also be allowed to move during the lockdown.