Enforce law against smoking strictly: HC

Chandigarh, Sept 12 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court today sought a ban against the sale of cigarettes within 100 meters of educational institutions as provided in the 2003 law on prohibiting smoking in public places.

The division bench of the acting Chief Justice Ranjit Singh while disposing of the PIL directed the state of Punjab and also the Chandigarh Administration to ensure that the law was implemented in letter and spirit.

It was argued by the petitioner's counsel that a ban on smoking in public was meaningless as long the cigarettes continued to be sold in close vicinity of the educational institutions and the like.

The counsel while referring to the photographs which were annexed with the PIL, pointed out cigarettes were being openly sold in and outside Punjab University (PU) campus as also the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh which only demonstrated absence of action against such sales as prescribed in the law.

Justice Singh while holding that it was indeed a very genuine cause raised through a PIL called upon the authorities concerned to ensure stricter compliance of the law.

UNI XC DP AK DB2014