Hyderabad: Cases were booked at only one police station regarding smoking in public places last year. According to information secured through an RTI query filed by activist Karim Ansari, only the LB Nagar police station had penalised about 20 persons for smoking in public.
The penalty for smoking in public places is Rs 100. Repeat offenders are to be fined between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. This has never been levied. Smoking in public places was prohibited nationwide on October 2, 2008, under the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008 and Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act.
Places where smoking is restricted include auditoriua, cinemas, hospitals, public transport and related facilities, restaurants, hotels, bars, pubs, amusement centers, offices among others. Smoking is allowed on roads, and inside one’s home or vehicle.
Md. Karim said, “The collection of penalties has fallen from Rs 12 lakh in 2012 to Rs 3 lakh in 2013 and Rs 4 lakh in 2014. According to the data available LB Nagar police booked 20 challans from January to June last year. The state government had taken the initiative to increase challans on traffic violators. But its lackadaisical attitude against smokers is a matter of concern.”
Mr Uday Kumar, a software engineer said, “The ban on smoking in public places was followed rigorously in the initial days but everything is back to square one now.”
