Slow progress on smoking ban

Slow progress on smoking ban
DH News Service, Bangalore:
It's been over three months since the ban on smoking in public places, but progress on the system for bringing violators to book remains sluggish.


Putting in place a system has been a can of worms for the authorities, who have been riddled with ambiguity over jurisdiction and about who has the powers to enforce the rule.

Although, most establishments in the City have faithfully implemented the ban, there remains a cloud over punitive action against violators. At a meeting called by Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore Urban G N Nayak, top officials deliberated on the enforcement and mulled over the lack of progress.

Much to the chagrin of officials, a budget accounting for the expenses for putting in place the system hadn’t been received and an earlier decision to send out circulars to district officials and other Government offices wasn’t acted upon.

The deputy commissioner also urged the officials to act on putting up ‘No Smoking’ signs at prohibited places. It was also decided that there would be a meeting every month to evaluate the status of implementation.