No activity involving person-to-person contact such as ‘Thabal Chongba’ or ‘Jatrawali’ shall be permitted, although ‘Yaoshang sports’ may be organised subject to observation of relevant SOPs, the state government announced on Wednesday.

The festivities of Yaoshang are likely to increase human interaction and physical contact which is not conducive to the second wave of COVID-19 infection being experienced in some states, an order issued by chief secretary Rajesh Kumar stated.

The chief secretary as chairperson of State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority, issued order No H-1601/6/2020-HD-HD dated 02/03/2021 allowing various activities subject to strict adherence to prescribed Covid Appropriate Behaviour and Standard Operating Procedures issued by the Ministries of Government of India concerned and the additional conditions relating to gatherings, it stated. The said order was issued in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 20(2)(a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, it added.

Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 20(2)(a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 the chief secretary in continuation of the order referred above has issued the fresh order, it stated.    

All deputy commissioners and district superintendents of Police shall enforce the mentioned instructions strictly, it added.