In a significant order the BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi has asked private firms in the city to function "only at 50% of their staff capacity or face action under section 188 of the IPC".Disobeying an order of a public servant under section 188 can lead to a punishment of six months jail or fine or both.The development comes in the wake of rising corona virus positive cases in the state and in Mumbai as well. Mumbai has now 6 positive cases and the state overall has 39 cases.Speaking to ET, Praveen Pardeshi said, “We have decided to do this to encourage private firms to allow half of their work force to work from home. This is also their responsibility to ensure that this thing (corona virus) is contained and does not spread.”The Municipal Commissioner is empowered to issue such an order under Rule 10 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897. The following services like those providing drinking water, sewerage services, banking services,telephone and internet services, rail and transportation services, food and vegetable and grocery services as well as hospitals, medical centres and medical stores have been exempted.According to him the enforcement of this would be done by the Assistant Municipal Commissioners (ward officers) who would be visiting several companies in the city to check whether the order is being enforced or not.The BMC Commissioner has also decided to restrict vehicular movement near the isolation centres for corona patients like Kasturba hospital and seven Hills hospital Mumbai.