Spitting on the streets and anywhere in public is a fashion in most of the parts of India. In fact, Incredible India is running the full-fledged campaign over the issue of spitting, littering other such issues. Mumbai has been facing this issue for a long time and finally government managed to implement the strict and innovative law whereby the spitting on the street will now cost an offender hard cash and bit of a mandatory community service.
According to the news published by the Time of India group, Maharashtra state cabinet has passed the innovative anti-spitting law on Tuesday which applies the monetary punishment combined with the mandatory community service. Based on the new law the first time citizen caught spitting on the street will be charged with the fine of Rs. 1000 and a day of social service at any of the public hospitals or government offices. The second time offender will have to pay Rs. 3000 and a three day of community service and repeated offender will have to pay Rs. 5000 plus five days of community service, respectively. The entire amount collected in the form of fines will be used towards the healthcare services.
“We have discussed the issue in the cabinet meeting and decided to form a committee led by the health minister Dr. Deepak Sawant and the report of the same will be submitted within a month time,” said the chief minister Devendra Fadanvis. According to the sources, Dr. Sawant was working on this project for a long time and he said that the law will be placed within next six months time. The next step will be getting the anti-spitting bill cleared by both state legislature houses before its final implementation. “The offender should do community service in a government hospital or office, like take on sweeping for a day or more. Designated officers will be appointed in every establishment,” he added.
According to Dr. Sawant, this law will work as the predecessor to the banning of chewing tobacco in public as the chewing of tobacco is the main reason behind the spitting. People who chew tobacco keep spitting as the tobacco produces more saliva. Smoking in public results in passive smoking, chewing tobacco causes diseases like TB and Cancer and spitting in public places results into spreading the infection to others.
This law needs to be implemented in Goa on the priority basis since Goa being one of the major tourist destinations in India. Although smoking is already banned in the state but despite that lot of people smoke openly, in all the public places including, restaurants, auditoriums, bus stands etc. There is no doubt that many of you must have witnessed it on several occasions. It happens only because of no enforcement of the law by Goa government. If government follow the footsteps of Maharashtra and implement the law strictly, the scenario in the state will change. Please do leave your comments and suggestions on this issue.
Source: TOI
Edited by Goa Prism News Desk
