MARGAO: Despite having booked 6,002 cases till December 17, 2023 by police in South Goa for smoking and spitting in public places, people are still found indulging in these activities in public places.
The highest number of cases booked under The Goa Prohibition of Smoking and Spitting Act were 851 by Ponda police, followed by Vasco Railway police who booked 767 cases.
Incidentally, two police stations booked single digit cases under this act, namely Verna police who booked only 9, while Mormugao police booked only 2 such cases.
In comparison up to December 10 of 2022, South Goa police had booked 6,625 cases under this act, which is more than those booked this year even though smoking in public places is increasing and walls of staircases of both government as well as public places are plastered with paan and gutka stains.
In 2022 too, Ponda police registered the highest number of cases under this act as they booked 1,402 persons which is higher than the 851 cases they booked this year.
Incidentally during the period January 1 to May 31, in 2023, police in South Goa booked 3,114 cases under the Act, while in 2022 during the same period they had booked 3,178 such cases.
Similarly, in 2021, the five Salcete police stations had registered 1,339 cases and collected an amount of Rs 1,33,900 as fines in the first six months. Margao Town police registered 347 cases, collecting fines of Rs 34,700, while Maina-Curtorim police recorded 272 cases, with fines totalling Rs 27,200. Colva, a popular tourist destination, registered 163 cases, resulting in fines of Rs 16,300. Cuncolim police booked 356 cases, collecting Rs 35,600 in fines and Fatorda police booked 201 cases, with fines amounting to Rs 20,100. Salcete has witnessed a high number of cases in the past two years, the crackdown on violators is on, said police. Most of the cases booked were at hospital buildings, health institutions, amusement centres, restaurants, hotel lounges, public offices, bus stands, ferry boats, beaches and railway stations, police disclosed.
In 2020, the five police stations in Salcete had booked 3,839 cases and in 2019, the highest number of cases (5,059) were booked in Salcete under the Act.