‘Spitting In Food’ Faces ₹1 Lakh Penalty: Uttarakhand Govt's New Rules

The Uttarakhand government issued new guidelines on Wednesday to prevent instances of "spitting in food," with fines reaching up to ₹1 lakh, as reported by PTI. These directives were introduced following remarks by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who referred to such acts as "thook (spit) jihad" and promised strict action against offenders. Separate guidelines were released by the state police and health department.

The guidelines mandate police verification of staff working in hotels and dhabas, along with the installation of CCTV cameras in their kitchens. Meanwhile, the BJP-led government in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh is also planning to introduce two ordinances that will make food contamination via spitting or mixing human waste a cognizable and non-bailable offence.

In Mussoorie, two men were arrested for allegedly spitting into fruit juice glasses before serving them to tourists. In another incident, a viral video from Dehradun showed a cook allegedly spitting while preparing dough for rotis. State health minister Dhan Singh Rawat emphasized that food safety is a top priority, especially during the upcoming festival season, and warned that any form of impurity or anti-social behaviour would be met with strict action.

Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar also issued instructions to district police chiefs in line with the chief minister's warnings.

Key Guidelines

- The guidelines instruct district police to utilize local intelligence units to prevent such incidents at kiosks and pushcarts. They also mandate 100% employee verification in hotels and dhabas, encouraging business managers to install CCTV cameras in kitchens.

- Police are advised to remain vigilant during patrolling and work with the Health and Food Department to conduct random checks in eateries.

- Offenders may be charged under Section 274 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita for food adulteration, and Section 81 of the Uttarakhand Police Act for public nuisance or false alarms.

- If religious, ethnic, or linguistic sentiments are harmed, relevant sections such as 196(1)(B) (promoting enmity) or 299 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (insulting religious beliefs) should be invoked.

- A public awareness campaign is to be carried out with the involvement of the Health and Food Department, local bodies, and the public.

- Health Secretary R Rajesh Kumar issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that enforces strict fines ranging from ₹25,000 to ₹1 lakh.

The guidelines follow several viral videos and incidents of spitting in food items at hotels and dhabas in Dehradun and Mussoorie.