https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Double Whammy for Not Wearing Mask In Sitamarhi

In an obvious lesson for many states, the Sitamarhi district of Bihar has started a unique operation to curb the spread of Covid 19. Here, people who are found on streets without wearing masks are not just fined. They are also subjected to rapid antigen test!
Indian Masterminds Stories

Imposing a fine on those who venture out of their homes without masks is a deterrent, but it’s not strong enough to stop the coronavirus in its tracks. Realising this, the District Magistrate of Sitamarhi has a gone a step ahead in his battle against Covid19. A 2014-batch officer, Ms. Abhilasha Sharma has deployed doctors and medical staff at police stations all over the district to conduct rapid antigen tests of people who are caught not wearing masks.

That this should be done in a place like Bihar may raise some eyebrows, but only of those who do not know the ground situation. It’s not for nothing that Bihar has won the coveted Digital India Award-2020 for innovative initiatives during Covid-19 lockdown. This happened after officers in various districts of the state started coming out with unique steps to curb down the rising cases of Covid 19.

Sitamarhi district situated in the Mithila region in Bihar is one of the places where the officials are leaving no stone unturned against their fight with the dreaded virus.

DEPLOYING DOCTORS AND MEDICAL STAFF IN POLICE STATIONS

Ms. Sharma, while addressing the media, said, “This initiative is taken to make people aware of the preventive measures for the pandemic. Therefore, people who are caught violating this measure are not only charged with fines but are simultaneously provided with a rapid antigen test as they have a high possibility of carrying the virus.”

For this, the district administration has deployed several doctors and medical staff in all the police stations in the district under the guidance of Ms. Sharma. Sitamarhi has a total of 18 police stations in17 blocks.

As per the DM, various special testing camps have been set up at the thana level where these antigen tests are being conducted. She also added that a contact list of people found positive is also being maintained by the doctors at these police stations. Till now, hundreds of people who were violating the norms have been given these antigens tests and have also been fined accordingly.

THE OUTCOME

A very few people were tested positive by conducting these tests, but it gave a holistic approach to the situation. The ones who have been tested positive for Covid 19 and are asymptomatic are further given guidelines about home isolation, as also medical assistance.

Till now the district has about 114 active cases, while 4,216 people have recovered and 14 have lost their lives since the time of the pandemic.

As India lands in the list of the worst-hit countries during the pandemic, such initiatives taken by administrators are highly appreciated. In fact, this initiative taken by Ms. Abhilasha Sharma is gathering a lot of attention in Bihar and – as per the reports- is likely to be replicated in other districts of the state as well.

DIGITAL INDIA AWARD 2020 FOR BIHAR

Recently, Bihar has been declared as the winner of the Digital India Award 2020 for innovative initiatives taken during the pandemic for assisting the citizens in many ways. The efforts were recognized by the Government of India after which they decided to award the state’s chief minister’s office, the state’s disaster management department (DMD), and the NIC jointly.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Union Minister Bhupendra yadav
No Immediate Plan to Regulate AC Temperatures: Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav Clarifies, Says 20–28°C Cap May Be Considered Only After 2050
Punya Salila Srivastava IAS
IAS Punya Salila Srivastava Gets Additional Charge of Health Research; IRS Pankaj Bodkhe Repatriated from KVIC
education
Gujarat Achieves 100% Textbook Distribution Before Academic Year: Over 6 Crore Books Delivered
Punjab_govt_resized
Punjab: 8 IAS & 9 PCS Transferred, Amandeep Kaur-II Posted as Addl Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar
Bihar’s Makhana
Desi Makhana Goes Global: From IIT Dreams to Entrepreneurial Reality in Bihar, as Makhana from Bihar Gains International Recognition
Thermal Power
Pirpainti Power Push: Private Power Majors Show Interest in Bihar’s Largest Thermal Project at Pirpainti
IPS Smiti Chaudhary
Obituary: Haryana's Senior IPS Smiti Chaudhary Passes Away at 48 in Nashik, Leaves Behind Legacy of Integrity & Service
Indian Railways
From Isolation to Integration: New Rail Corridor Signals Hope for Naxal-Affected Bastar, Final Survey Phase of Kothagudem–Kirandul Line Underway
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
Ex-IRS Officer C. Rajendiran Illuminates Thirukkural’s Timeless Wisdom in Exclusive Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Union Minister Bhupendra yadav
No Immediate Plan to Regulate AC Temperatures: Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav Clarifies, Says 20–28°C Cap May Be Considered Only After 2050
Punya Salila Srivastava IAS
IAS Punya Salila Srivastava Gets Additional Charge of Health Research; IRS Pankaj Bodkhe Repatriated from KVIC
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT