HC bans spitting on Shimla streets, directs SP to take violators to task

shimla road spitting

You may find Shimla complete ‘spick-and-span’ if you have planned to visit the capital of Himachal Pradesh in coming days. On Wednesday, the High Court directed the city Superintendent of Police A P Singh to impose a ban on spitting on streets.

The high court has also directed the city administration to take the offender of the ban to task. The court has told the SP to make sure the availability of the sufficient number of police personnel to keep an eye on the offenders of the ban on spitting on street in the city.

The Shimla Municipal Corporation Act, a legislation regarding functions and duties of the corporation, also talks about the prohibition on spitting on streets in the town. According to the act, the municipal magistrate can impose fine of Rs 500 on the offender of the act.

According to the report, the HC Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice V K Gupta and Justice Rajeev Sharma, in a suo motu action, expressed unhappiness over the municipal corporation’s failure in implementing the required provisions of the law, including ban on spitting on streets in city.

Further, the court also directed Devesh Kumar, Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner, to discuss the issue with city SP and to draw a plan to implement the ban with great effect. The court has given two weeks time to the corporation to do necessary work to enforce the ban.

The Municipal Corporation had submitted an affidavit in the court in this matter. According to the affidavit, the law has sufficient provisions to take the offenders to task.

It said later that a large number of pan vendors in the Shopping Mall, have contributed to increase the spitting habit of people. This is being happened despite of a close monitoring by the corporation staff all the time. The corporation has also displayed warning notices regarding the ban and fine that can be imposed on the offenders.

The court also directed the Corporation to employ extra manpower, even on contract basis, to make sure that the city streets are swept daily. At the time of British colonial rule in India, Shimla was like the summer capital of the country. At that time, the Mall and the Ridge were washed every day. But now, even the main roads are swept only once in a week and the heaps of garbage keep piling up on the roadside.


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