In Maharashtra, the stringent curbs will be imposed from 8 PM tonight to contain the spread of Covid-19. <br />'' <br />''The imposition of these restrictions comes at a time when Maharashtra recorded more than 67 thousand cases yesterday and 568 deaths.<br />'' <br />''It is for the second time in less than a week the state has logged above 67 thousand cases of corona.<br />'' <br />''Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that the state government is gradually heading towards imposing a stricter lockdown.<br />'' <br />''He said non-essential inter-district movement of people will not be allowed under any circumstance.<br />'' <br />''AIR correspondent reports, the SOP states that in case of state secretariat and Central Government offices in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Head of the department can decide for higher attendance after seeking permission for the same from the CEO of Maharashtra Disaster Management Authority.<br />'' <br />''As far as inter-city and inter-district movement of private buses are concerned, the bus service operator will have to restrict the stoppages to maximum two in a city and shall inform the local DMA.<br />'' <br />''At the stoppages where passengers are alighting all passengers shall be stamped on the hand for 14 days home quarantine. The stamping will have to be done by the operator himself.<br />'' <br />''The local disaster management authority may decide on conducting Rapid Antigen Test at the alighting point by appointing one of the authorised labs to give these services.<br />'' <br />''The cost of the test will be borne by the passenger or by the service provider.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">If any operator is found to be flouting the guidelines then the DMA may levy a fine of 10 thousand and repeated defaults will lead to cancellation of license to operate till the end of notification of Covid-19 as a pandemic.</span><br />