The Jharkhand government on Saturday published an advertisement in local newspapers claiming that the penalties for violation of Covid-19 preventive measures mentioned in an ordinance were the maximum limit and not meant for all types of rule flout, in what appeared to be a damage control exercise.

The penalties — Rs 1 lakh fine and two years’ imprisonment — mentioned in the Jharkhand Contagious Disease Ordinance 2020, which was approved by the state cabinet on Wednesday evening, had been criticised by the public and the business community.

The Opposition BJP had said the punishments were “anti-people, anti-poor and impractical”. Others said it would encourage corruption as the violators would prefer settlement by “greasing the palms” of law-enforcing authorities such as the police.

The criticism from different sections was reported in some newspapers, including The Telegraph, on Friday.

“It appears from the statements from different sections as reported in the newspapers of July 24, 2020, that there were some confusion about the provision of punishment mentioned in the ordinance,” said the advertisement issued by the state health and family welfare department on Saturday. The penalties mentioned in relation to the violations were actually their maximum limits, it added.

The exact penalty for specific violation of Covid-19 guidelines such as unnecessary assembly, maintaining social distancing and wearing masks in public places would be specified in the regulation related to the said ordinance that was being drafted, it said.

“The ordinance is meant for bringing in a change in public behaviour for checking spread of infectious diseases effectively as there is no law in the state for ensuring compliance of the Covid-19 guidelines at present,” the advertisement said.

The health department had issued a press release late on Friday evening which was along similar lines and the same content was published as an advertisement in local newspapers on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the BJP sent a letter to governor Draupadi Murmu on Saturday, urging her to restrain the state government from implementing “the anti-people and impractical ordinance”.

The letter said the severe punishment mentioned in the ordinance will add to the woes of the people of the state who are already facing financial constraints during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The letter was signed by state BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash and Babulal Marandi, former chief minister and BJP Legislature Party leader in the Assembly.