TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Tobacco Free Goa Campaign has stepped up its initiatives to rid public places and locations frequented by tourists by banning smoking on all beaches, shacks, tourist spots and hotels and impose fines to the tune of Rs 100 per person for defying rules.
While hotels have been given some concession of designating areas for smoking within the premises, smoking in shacks and beaches has been banned in toto. Even hookahs and ashtrays will not be permitted and shack operators will have to display signboards prominently prohibiting smoking therein.
The ban is being implemented all across the State and the South Goa district authorities have already set the initiative into motion after convening a meeting with all officials concerned Tuesday. A meeting by the North District magistrate which was scheduled Wednesday was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances and would be re-scheduled shortly.
According to sources, the tourism department has been directed to ensure that it displays signboards at all beaches declaring prohibition of smoking.
A year ago, Miramar beach was the only location along the State’s coastline where a ban on smoking had been imposed. This year, all beaches from Palolem, in South Goa, upto Sinquerim in North would be covered for enforcing a ban on smoking in public places and tourist spots.
The tourism ministry has also been directed to ensure that all its GTDC residencies have on display no-smoking signages and starred hotels would be permitted to designate separate areas for smoking.
Officials in the tourism department say that work is on to put up signboards on all beaches in the state prohibiting smoking. Steps will also be initiated to make public gardens, shopping malls ‘tobacco and smoke-free zones’. While it is hoped to have all these in place at the earliest as the tourism season has commenced, indications are that it would take at least a month to put the TFG campaign in motion.
According to reports, the district magistrates will depute flying squads backed by police personnel to take action against offenders. Fines to the tune of Rs 100 per head will be levied against any person found defying the rules. In addition other measures are also proposed to ban sale of tobacco products within close vicinity of schools and tourist places and so on.
A senior official in the tourism department has said that the task ahead, of ensuring that Goa’s tourist spots are smoke free, is challenging and “we seek full co-operation from visitors to Goa to ensure that the ban is effectively implemented.”
While hotels have been given some concession of designating areas for smoking within the premises, smoking in shacks and beaches has been banned in toto
