Chittoor police ban religious public gatherings in rural areas

Surveillance teams constituted following spurt in COVID-19 cases

With Chittoor district logging a record 2,764 COVID-19 cases and 54 deaths in the 24 hours ending Friday morning, the district police instructed its personnel in the Madanapalle, Palamaner, Chittoor, Puttur and Sri City sub-divisions to prohibit public gatherings for festivities such as ‘jatara’, or ‘harikatha’ and ‘burrakatha’ in the rural areas.

Hectic activity is generally witnessed in the rural hinterland during May as villagers gather to celebrate local festivals.

Such celebrations had been done away with following the lockdown imposed after the pandemic first broke out in 2020.

However, with only partial lockdown imposed now, instances of people gathering to celebrate festivals are being reported at a few places.

Addressing the media, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) N. Sudhakar Reddy said that surveillance teams were constituted to disallow celebration of village festivities.

‘Celebrate in ekantham’

“People are advised to celebrate the festivals and make their offerings to the village deities at their households only. We have banned the celebration of Ganga jatara in Chittoor and elsewhere in the district as a public event this year too. The organisers have been asked to celebrate them in ‘ekantham’ and avoid public congregations,” Mr. Sudhakar Reddy said.

“Organising street and stage plays and recital of ‘harikatha’ and ‘burrakatha’ is also prohibited with immediate effect. Those who violate the orders will be booked under IPC sections in view of public safety,” Mr Sudhakar Reddy said.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police S. Senthil Kumar asked the police personnel in all the sub-divisions, particularly in the rural areas, to propagate among people the need to use face mask and adhere to the protocols.

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