Bengaluru: Permission from deputy commissioners must to book marriage halls

BENGALURU: With COVID-19 cases continuing to increase day by day, the State government has made it mandatory for people to obtain permission from deputy commissioners of districts concerned for booking community halls/convention centres/auditoriums for weddings and other programmes.

Also Revenue Minister R Ashok on Saturday said that the State government banned all types of religious festivals and temple 'jatras' to contain further spread of Covid-19.

Speaking to the media persons after reviewing the Covid-19 situation in the State with deputy commissioners, virtually, along with Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Health Minister Dr K. Sudhakar , Ashok said "If any such festivals or jatras take place, the deputy commissioner of the district concerned will be held responsible.

It is necessary to stop the rising cases before the situation went out of hand. The pandemic should be controlled by speeding up testing and vaccination. We should work on a war footing. If festivals or jatras are held at the taluk level, the tahsildars concerned will be held responsible."

People who want to book community halls and convention centres for marriages and other programmes should obtain prior permission from the respective deputy commissioners.

The deputy commissioner's office would issue 100 passes and 200 passes respectively for indoor and outdoor weddings. In the case of community halls/auditoriums already booked, there was no necessity of obtaining permission and passes from deputy commissioners.

But organisers have to limit the number of people as stipulated by the government.

As per an order issued by the government on Thursday, 100 people would be allowed for indoor weddings and 200 for outdoor weddings.

Basavaraj Bommai warned FIRs would be registered against owners of community halls/auditoriums if they violated the COVID-19 rules.

"From today, marriage halls should be booked after obtaining permission from the deputy commissioner. Those who have already booked, will be allowed. In future, permission from the deputy commissioner is mandatory.

The district administration will issue passes for a minimum number of people to attend weddings. Action will be taken against the marriage hall owner if additional passes are issued," Basavaraj Bommai said.