THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Goa's had implemented prohibition of Smoking and Spitting Act with great enthusiasm. Initially it resulted in a drastic reduction in smoking in Salcete but now it appears to have lost steam.
In Salcete, people can be seen smoking at public places, particularly in Margao city.
According to the police, for the first six months of this year, the five Salcete police stations reportedly booked 1339 cases and collected fines worth Rs 1,33,900.
The Margao Town police booked 347 cases and collected Rs 34,700 as fines while the Maina-Curtorim police booked 272 cases and their fines collected was Rs 27,200. However, Colva, which is a tourist spot, had booked 163 cases under the Smoking and Spitting Act and Rs 16,300 was collected through fines. While Cuncolim police booked 356 case and their fines collected amounted to Rs 35,600, Fatorda police booked 201 cases and Rs 20,100 was collected as fines.
Salcete has seen a large number of cases booked during the last two years, but the exercise against the violators has taken a backseat in the recent times.
In 2020, the five police stations from Salcete namely Margao, Maina Curtorim, Fatorda, Colva and Cuncolim had booked 3839 cases while in 2019, highest number of cases (5059) were booked under the Act.
In 2020, from January to June, South Goa police stations had booked 6186 cases under the Act, but now the cases have reduced.
Police said that most of these cases booked in the last two years were at hospital buildings, health institutions, amusement centres, restaurants, eateries, hotel lounges, public offices, bus stations, ferry boats, garden, beaches etc.
As per records available, between 2006 and 2010, police stations from Margao sub divisions had booked 1,824 cases under Smoking and Spitting Act – Margao police had booked 721 cases, Maina Curtorim 477, Cuncolim 465, and Colva 161.
In 2011, in entire South Goa, the police had booked 1,106 cases while in the year 2012, 1,646 cases were registered, in 2013 – 1,889 cases, 2014 -2,255 cases, 2015-2,722 cases and in 2016, 1,481 cases.
Of the 1,481 cases registered in 2016 by South Goa police, maximum 348 cases were booked by Margao police followed by 59 cases by Vasco police, 211 by Quepem police, 180 by Curchorem police, 152 by Canacona police, 77 by Ponda police, 58 by Collem police, 83 by Sanguem police, 40 by Mormugao police, 270 by Vasco railway police, and 3 by airport police.
A police officer claimed that the law banning smoking in public places is being implemented with a lot of vigour by all police stations in South Goa and that the drive has not lost any steam.
He, however, said that they have been issued directions, particularly in the coastal belt to intensify the drive and book maximum cases.
