The Cabinet's approval of the ordinance comes a weekafter eight teenagers were beaten up by members of a localCOVID-19 task force for defying the lockdown orders.
A Cabinet meeting chaired by Zoramthanga approved 'TheOrdinance for Containment and Prevention of COVID-19' thatseeks stringent punishment for those violating lockdown andcreating public nuisance, he said.
It was tabled in the meeting by Health Minister Dr RLalthangliana, the official said.
Though doctors in Mizoram had called for a one-monthextension of the lockdown, the Cabinet decided to implementthe extension till May 17 as directed by the Centre, he said.
The Cabinet also decided that the state governmentwill make arrangements to facilitate the return of Mizoramresidents stranded in other parts of the country throughtrains as permitted by the Centre, the official said.
The state government had earlier decided to facilitatethe return of 693 Mizoram residents stranded in fournortheastern states Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura between April 30 and May 3.
A total of 292 people from the state, including 154women, have returned from Manipur between Thursday andSaturday, officials said. CORACD ACD