AURANGABAD: Visitors to tourist attractions like the Ajanta-Ellora caves in Aurangabad must have taken at least one vaccine dose, the district disaster management authority (DDMA) has decided in a bid to aggressively assist the endeavour to push up vaccination coverage in the district.
It had earlier said driving licences would not be issued to unvaccinated people, and made vaccination mandatory for government employees, failing which their salaries for November would be withheld.
“Aurangabad district has slipped to 26th position in the state in vaccination. It has achieved only 55% vaccination (first dose) against the state average of 74%,” said district collector Sunil Chavan, who heads the DDMA.
In an order on Tuesday, the DDMA said Bibi-ka-Maqbara, Aurangabad Caves, Daulatabad Fort and Pitalkhora Caves are among the tourist hotspots where the ‘no-vaccine-no-entry’ directive would be applied.
The order also makes at least part vaccination compulsory for owners and staff of hotels, shops, resorts and other commercial establishments operating around the tourist places in Aurangabad district.
Both the Aurangabad municipal corporation and the Aurangabad zilla parishad have been told to arrange for vaccination camps at tourist places.
As per official data, Bibi-ka-Maqbara, designed like the Taj Mahal, witnessed the highest footfall of 16,440 visitors from within the country during September. Ellora Caves followed with 14,421 Indian tourists followed by Daulatabad fort (7,977), Ajanta Caves (6,063) and Aurangabad Caves (4,301).
