In a shocking act, the Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner on Wednesday ordered the coronavirus positive persons in the city be identified in "larger public interest" and a list of 29 names was also released.
"In larger public interest and with a view to stop the spread of Covid - 19 and to strike a balance between the privacy of an individual and the larger public interest of the country, it directs to declare the names of the persons already found positive in larger public interest so that other people who could have potentially come in contact with them can voluntarily inform the authorities and isolate themselves and avoid being unsuspecting carriers of the virus, " said Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra in an order.
The order also says: "It is hereby directed that no member of the public shall indulge in commission or omission of any act of social discrimination, directly or indirectly, against the names so declared and/ or other family members.
The violation of the same shall be punishable under Section 188 IPC and the provisions of Indian Epidemic Disease Act, 1897. "
The list of 29 persons was also released with the order.
State's Principal Secretary, Health and Welfare, Jayanti Ravi, had earlier said that under the protocols of the Covid - 19, the names of the positive cases cannot be disclosed and made public.
Ahmedabad has the highest number of coronavirus positive cases found so far in Gujarat.
Out of the total 87 positive cases till Wednesday in the state, it has registered 31 positive cases and three deaths.
An 85 - year - old woman from Ahmedabad was the first victim of corona, who died due to comorbid conditions.