Sec 144 To Be Imposed In Bhubaneswar, Cuttack: Police Commissioner

Bhubaneswar: After the imposition of night curfew in Odisha on New Year Eve by the state government to restrain the people from zero night celebrations, the Twin City Commissionerate Police on Thursday put prohibitory orders in place.

Section 144 will be clamped in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar from 9 pm onwards.

Briefing mediapersons, Police Commissioner Sudhanshu Sarangi said the citizens have been advised to celebrate the New Year in their homes. To ensure that no one steps out and risks the spread of COVID-19, the prohibitory order will be clamped in the twin cities from 9 pm, he added.

“As the night curfew will remain in force for seven hours from 10 pm to 5 am, all hotels and kalyan mandaps will remain closed by 9 pm and people will reach their homes by 10 pm. Barring essential services like hospitals, medicine shops and transportation of essential goods, the remaining trading and business establishments and non-essential services will remain closed,” Sarangi said.

Stating that there will be no vehicular movements during the period, he said passengers arriving at the railway station and airport will be allowed to go to their destinations.

“For strict enforcement of night curfew, 40 platoons of police will be deployed in the twin cities to keep an eye on the movement of people,” he added.

Sarangi further said there will be no public gatherings at any place. “As we have the information that the residents of some apartments have planned a gathering on the New Year’s Eve in the apartment premises, we advise them not to go ahead with this as police will check each apartment and take necessary action against them,” he said.