A man being fined for smoking in a public place in the south district. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement more-in Lighting up at public places in the New Year proved expensive for over 8,000 smokers in the Capital’s south zone, with the police collecting ?17.5lakh in fines from January 1 till Wednesday. The challans, issued under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and the police’s anti-smoking campaign, saw 8,753 offenders being fined in the south zone, comprising both the south-east and south districts. A total of ?17,50,600 has been collected in fines so far, the police said on Wednesday. Increase in complaints They added that the drive was initiated following an increase in the number of complaints against sale of tobacco products near educational institutions and smoking at public places, including bus stops, outside metro stations and parks. Besides issuing a fine of ?200 on each violator under COTPA, the police conducted enforcement drives and awareness campaigns among sellers and consumers of tobacco products. ‘We have challaned 6,000 smokers so far outside metro stations, school, colleges and other public places in the south-east district. The drive will continue till further orders. All police stations in the district have been instructed to register a first information report against repeat offenders,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-east) Chinmoy Biswal. The south-east district police challaned smokers at Okhla, Amar Colony and Jamia Nagar area. They also acted against people selling tobacco products within a 100-yard radius of educational institutions. A similar drive was conducted in south district, which targeted smokers in C.R. Park, Safdurjung Enclave, Malviya Nagar, Green Park, Mehrauli, Saket and other areas of south Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Romil Baaniya said, “We conducted a four-day drive against smoking in public places and fined 2,743 smokers. All police stations in the district participated in the campaign.” The police had recently booked two shopkeepers in central Delhi under Section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act for allegedly selling tobacco products to minors.

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