Despite restrictions, liquor smuggled into quarantine centres in Ganjam district
Bhubaneswar: Despite enforcement of Section 144 CrPC in and around various COVID-19 quarantine centres in red zone Ganjam district, tension erupted at a quarantine centre over liquor brought by some locals to the confinement for one of quarantinees in the district.
The incident was reported from Dadarakhol area under Buguda block in Ganjam on Thursday.
According to reports, as many as 38 migrants returned from different states are staying at a quarantine centre set up at Dadarakhol Upper Primary School. Defying Section 144 CrPC restrictions enforced at the quarantine centre, some youth of a returnee, a resident of Biranchipur village who is under quarantine along with others, reached the place with liquor bottles.
Opposing it, the alert villagers indulged in an argument with the youth following which the situation turned violent.
On receiving information, Buguda police rushed to the quarantine centre and dispersed the crowd.
Source said that the quarantinees also had clash with the villagers for consumption of liquor at the centre. There was stiff opposition between them and the quarantanees threatened those who opposed them of dire consequences.
Worth mentioning, the district administration has clamped Section 144 CrPC at several quarantine centres extending upto 200 metre of the confinements prohibiting entry of relatives of quarantinees into the centres.
The supply of liquor and other toxic products into quarantine centre raises question over efficiency of local administration to deal with the COVID-19 cases in the red zone of Ganjam district.
